The Humane Hollow
by Nate Grey
Summary: The 13th Division's Rukia and Orihime are sent to destroy a powerful half-Hollow named Ichigo. What they don't know yet is that Ichigo has something worth fighting for, and that he'll do anything and everything to defend it.
1. Kurosaki Bonds

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach, not making any money, all that good stuff.

Notes: This is an AU story with some minor but important alterations to the world of Bleach: 1) Orihime is a shinigami, and 2) Ichigo lost more than just his mother to Grand Fisher.

Summary: A powerful half-Hollow boy named Ichigo is now considered a threat to Soul Society. The 13th Division's Rukia and Orihime are sent to destroy him. But nothing about Ichigo is as it seems...

* * *

**Prologue: Grand Fishing**

Kurosaki Ichigo had been a relatively normal boy, until that fateful day. His mother adored him, his father was just plain embarrassing, and his baby sisters were a little annoying, but those were all things he had come to accept as a part of normal life.

He had never really understood why his father's bedtime stories all featured a brave hero defeating an evil monster that no one else could. But afterwards, that, too, made perfect sense.

Because monsters were very much real.

Ichigo and his sisters learned this the hard way, when the family car crashed into an invisible monster. He would later learn that his parents had probably never seen the monster at all: they were killed in the initial impact, crushed beneath the monster's huge bulk and the caved in car roof. Ichigo had escaped with just a small cut on his forehead, but he would never find out if he'd been thrown from the car, or if the monster had pulled him free and then dropped him.

All he knew for sure was that he woke up in time to see the monster devour his little sisters.

It had never escaped Ichigo's notice that Yuzu and Karin were basically brats (Karin especially), but after a stern talk from his mother, he'd since thought of them, reluctantly but consistently, as his own brats, and no one else's. That was what it meant to be a big brother, even if his only rewards were Yuzu's warm hugs and wet kisses.

Yet both Yuzu and Karin screamed for him, as Ichigo stood by helplessly, and watched them die.

He could not be blamed for his fear. Ichigo had just lost his parents, and simultaneously learned that monsters were indeed real, and very frightening. It didn't help that this particular monster was quite sadistic, and went to the trouble of waiting until Ichigo awoke before eating Yuzu and Karin. It wanted Ichigo to suffer; that usually made the meat even sweeter.

What the monster, and even Ichigo, didn't know, was that when Yuzu and Karin died, an important part of Ichigo died with them. And what remained was stronger, hungrier, and far more ruthless than the monster itself.

Ichigo had no clear memories of what happened after that. He only knew that when it was all over, the monster was gone, and Yuzu and Karin had come back to him. They weren't angry or even disappointed that he hadn't protected them. Instead, they clung to him the way they always had, and cried while he held them tight and promised to never leave them.

At first, Ichigo tried to pretend that it was all a bad dream, and that his sisters had never died. But the black-rimmed holes in their bellies and the paleness in their faces told him otherwise...

* * *

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (XMAN0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Chapter 1: Kurosaki Bonds**

* * *

"I am sorry about this," Captain Ukitake had said right before he gave her the assignment, "but only your specific talents may bring this to a swift end."

Rukia hadn't questioned it, at first. She had complete trust in her captain, she was the 13th Division's lieutenant, and she was a Kuchiki. She wasn't supposed to question her orders.

Then she read the details, saw the attached photo, and nearly had an emotional breakdown right there in the office.

It was Kaien.

Not really, but it certainly did look like him, and the wound that Rukia had thought closed suddenly ripped itself wide open again.

Why did it have to be the same thing? Another person taken over by a Hollow. Another person she would have to kill. And once again, she would have to take her best friend along to help with the dirty work.

Rukia did her best not to think about such things as she made her way to Captain Ukitake's personal quarters. Due to his prolonged illness, it had been converted into a large hospital room, and was absolutely covered in cushions, for fear that he might collapse and hurt himself.

Of course, that had been before Inoue Orihime was transferred from the 4th Division into the 13th, largely to replace her late older brother, Sora.

Now, Captain Ukitake hardly ever spent any time in his room, and consequently, did not mind Orihime using it as an infirmary. He felt it was the least he could do, considering she had been the one to cure him.

From the time that Rukia had first met her back in the Rukongai's 78th District, Orihime had undergone a startling transformation. The shy, upbeat girl that had once tagged along after her and Renji was gone. That could only be a good thing, since she wouldn't have lasted long as a shinigami otherwise.

Orihime had found that the only way to keep Rukia, Renji, and Sora in sight was to improve her own abilities, and so she had, with a drive that bordered on fanatical. At first, this only applied to her healing talents, and quite predictably, she was shipped off to the 4th Division. But Captain Unohana had quickly found that this was only one of Orihime's strengths, and after personally training the girl for a decade, recommended her for a transfer. She was politely but firmly turned down, at least until that horrible night that had claimed several promising shinigami, Kaien and Sora among them.

Two weak but clever Hollows had possessed a team of shinigami patrolling in the human world, and slipped into the Seireitei undetected. They systematically murdered every shinigami that stood in their way, growing more powerful each time they took hold of another body. Perhaps it was fate that when Orihime arrived on the scene, Kaien and Sora were the ones under the Hollows' control. Logically, they had assumed that she would be unable to attack them.

The only flaw in their plan was that Orihime hadn't been blind. The two creatures that stood before her that night were barely recognizable as shinigami, much less as any she knew. With writhing tentacles emerging from their faces and arms, they were little more than monsters in her eyes, even if their voices sounded somewhat familiar. She only needed to see the blood soaked into their clothing to know what they were capable, and killed them both with a single attack, not hesitating for a moment.

Afterwards, though, she had been an emotional wreck for nearly a month.

But in that single night, every shinigami present had seen the power of Tsubaki, and knew that Orihime was not just a simple healer. Her transfer was immediately approved, and she was placed in the 13th Division, under the guidance of her best friend.

Really, it had been the best thing for both of them. Orihime was always more focused when a friend was in danger, and Rukia could safely attack in the unrestrained style that she preferred with Orihime supporting her. Their teamwork was nearly flawless, to the point where they only received joint missions now. It wasn't that they couldn't work with anyone else, but their bond went far beyond mere friendship. If Orihime became incapacitated, her Shun Shun Rikka would only follow Rukia's commands. Likewise, Orihime was the only other person that could safely handle Rukia's sword (aside from Captain Hitsugaya, and that was only because he could withstand intense cold).

The lights were off in the infirmary, but Rukia knew that Orihime was inside. She could feel the familiar spiritual pressure, and it was unlikely to be mistaken for any other. Where most spiritual pressure felt like a crushing force, Orihime's had always been more like ripples on a pond, and each of the Shun Shun Rikka had its own distinct ripple within Orihime's overall spiritual pressure.

Rukia slowly slid the infirmary door open, not at all surprised to find Tsubaki blocking the way. Unlike the other Shun Shun Rikka, he needed no partner, and had become so powerful that he could manifest himself and become human-sized, all without Orihime's command. His human form was about seven feet in height, and therefore fairly imposing all on its own.

"So it's just you, Snow Beast," he snorted, glaring at her. "What do you want?"

"Don't start with me, Tsubaki," Rukia snapped, shoving past him. "I would think you'd be glad to have a new mission."

"Yeah? It's about time. I was getting bored, sitting here watching her sleep."

Rukia frowned, gazing at the glowing cocoon at her feet. Inside, she could make out the peaceful form of Orihime. Normally, Orihime only used it on other people or objects, but she had recently begun to use it on herself, either to quickly restore her strength in long battles, or to be able to work long hours with little rest. Personally, Rukia had always thought that actual rest was better, but she also knew that the Shun Shun Rikka were not mindless drones. They would do as Orihime asked, but they would not allow harm to come to her without excellent reason.

"Don't worry, Rukia-san! Shun'o and Ayame are almost done."

Blinking, Rukia looked up as the tiny form of Lily landed on her shoulder. "Did Orihime sleep at all last night?"

"Oh, yes. This was just a precaution. Orihime sensed that she would need to be at full strength. I think she knew about the mission."

"How can that be? I only just received our orders myself!"

Lily frowned. "I think it might be our fault. Orihime might be gaining some of our powers herself. This isn't the first time her predictions have come true. Instead of reversing time, like Shun'o and Ayame do, she can see forward into it. It's not that surprising, really, but it was something none of us expected."

"And you don't think these increased sessions might be responsible?" Rukia asked.

"Even if they were, Rukia-san, it's another way we can protect her. We couldn't just stop. What if there's something she needs to know in advance?"

Rukia hated that Lily and Shun'o always seemed to make more sense than her, and being corrected by a fairy even once was humiliating enough. "So you're certain she'll be ready for the mission?"

Lily nodded. "We'll be done any minute now!"

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was not a typical teenager in many respects.

There was the fact that he was an orphan, and had been since he lost his family in a tragic car accident as a child. Curiously, though, several of Ichigo's classmates had lost their families under similar circumstances, so he was one of several orphans at Karakura High School.

Also, Ichigo happened to be on a first name basis with every orphan in his class. They also all happened to live in his house for the sake of convenience: they were not all friends, exactly, but as they had no other companions to depend on, they learned to depend on each other.

Within Karakura High School, however, Ichigo's reputation, and that of his companions, was a bit more ominous.

Quite simply, Ichigo was considered a gang leader by every staff member, and received perfect scores in every class out of sheer fear of what he might do in retaliation. No one had ever actually SEEN Ichigo or his companions attack someone... and that perhaps was most frightening of all. Their gang was known as the Kurosaki Family, despite Ichigo being the only actual living Kurosaki.

Ichigo's right-hand man was actually a girl: Arisawa Tatsuki. She was the only girl in Karakura Town that could safely walk home alone at night: the one time she had encountered a mugger, he'd been found the next morning, bruised to the point that he was barely recognizable by his dental records.

The gang's enforcer was Sado Yasutora, more commonly known as Chad. At least, as the largest member, people assumed he was the enforcer. Actually, though, Chad was the least violent person in the group, although it was still a very bad idea to get into a fight with him.

Ishida Uryu was the gang's spokesperson by default, but also because he was good at it. Ichigo and Chad weren't big talkers, and Tatsuki usually talked (and cursed) entirely too much. Uryu, however, always knew exactly what to say at any given moment. He had a certain talent for appearing completely non-threatening, even if he happened to be doing something as intimidating as clutching a bloody butcher knife at the moment.

Despite not considering themselves a gang, the Kurosaki Family did share some of the same characteristics. They were on a first name basis with many police officers, and while none of them had ever been arrested, Ichigo and Tatsuki had both been brought in for questioning concerning destruction of public property many times. The evidence could never quite connect them to the crimes, however, as most of the damage was on such a grand scale that it was simply humanly impossible.

And no one could ever quite explain the bleak, oppressive aura that seemed to surround the Kurosaki home, but nearly everyone could sense it, and kept their distance. Most people assumed that there had to be evil inside the house, but it was actually more along the lines of typical teen boredom and the occasional fight over who was supposed to wash the dishes on a given night.

Whatever else they might have been, the Kurosaki Family was just that: a family of four. They in no way replaced the family that Ichigo had lost, but they made the pain and loneliness a bit more bearable.

* * *

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was not a man that was easily impressed, but the Hollows based in Karakura Town impressed him.

They were a unique collection of talents, so rare and mysterious that he was this close to sending Nemu to obtain a sample. But based on the data he'd gathered so far, there would've been no point. The best way to gauge the group's power was to challenge them directly. Nemu couldn't do that alone, and sending more than one shinigami to the world of the living would draw too much attention.

However, the 13th Division's current mission would go a long way in confirming Mayuri's suspicions. He had detailed files on both Rukia and Orihime, having "liberated" them from the 4th Division some time ago, and then only long enough to make copies and return the originals before anyone noticed. He was certain that Rukia and Orihime would, at the very least, force out the true potential of the Hollows before they were killed in the process. There was just no way that two shinigami could overcome these four Hollows.

A Quincy who fired black arrows faster than the eye could track.

A human who could somehow throw the totality of her strength into every single blow.

Another human with power so massive that he could only be mere steps away from becoming a Menos Grande.

And a Hollow who defied all known logic by remaining visibly human, even as his Hollow powers grew in ways that should have been impossible. The data even indicated that the others had only gained or adapted their gifts because of his subconscious influence. Beyond that, he was even able to slow down the transformation of other souls into Hollows by sheer force of will. This Hollow had the power to change reality itself, his power was so enormous.

Mayuri wanted that power for himself, even if it meant ripping it out of Ichigo's chest with his own two hands. He'd certainly done messier, more difficult things, after all.

* * *

Alone in his room, Ichigo sat down on the windowsill and closed his eyes, pressing his face against the cool glass. He could hear Uryu and Tatsuki downstairs, their voices raised. Probably they'd gotten into yet another argument about something petty. Chad would no doubt settle the dispute as only he could. Sure enough, a loud thump followed, and then there was silence.

Ichigo smiled faintly, and when he opened his eyes, his little sister's face was hovering just inches from his own.

The sight never failed to remind him of how different she looked now, because Yuzu had always been the baby of the family. Her eyes seemed larger now, and a bit sunken in, as if her true face were concealed beneath a human-like mask. Anyone else might be disgusted, but to Ichigo, she was as adorable as the day she'd come home from the hospital.

"Hey, Yuzu-chan," he said calmly, watching as she settled on his leg and cuddled against his chest. For some reason, she and Karin were all about physical contact now. There was always a certain chill around them, and Ichigo knew on some level that this was because they no longer gave off body heat. He had plenty to spare, so it didn't bother him at all.

"Hi, Ichi-nii," she murmured softly, clutching at his chest.

"Where's Karin?"

"Sleeping," Yuzu replied simply.

It was one of those evasive answers that Ichigo never bothered to question. He assumed that there were some things about the undead that the living just weren't ever meant to know. Otherwise, he was certain Yuzu wouldn't have kept the information from him. After all, if they couldn't trust him, who else was there?

"You guys felt it, too?" he guessed. Karin was not the type to be overly emotional, but she only strayed from Yuzu's side now when building up her strength for something major.

Yuzu nodded into his chest. "Something's coming. Coming for you, Ichi-nii. Or maybe for me and Karin." She clutched him a little tighter. "You won't let it separate us, will you?"

"Don't be silly," Ichigo replied, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on her head. "It'll be the three of us, forever. I promised you that, remember?"

"Sometimes I forget," Yuzu admitted softly. "Like when I'm scared. Or if Karin isn't there to remind me."

"Why don't you stay here tonight, so you don't forget?" he offered. Honestly, it was more because he didn't want her to leave. Even if she was already dead, and he had already failed in his duty to protect her, Ichigo was unable to just turn off the brotherly instinct to never let Yuzu out of his sight for long. Aside from that, he genuinely missed her and Karin sleeping down the hall from him, even if that was now Tatsuki's room.

"Your friends won't mind?"

"They wouldn't be my friends if they did," Ichigo replied firmly. In a softer tone, he added, "Please stay, Yuzu-chan. I don't want you to go."

Yuzu looked as if she didn't want to leave, either, but she finally shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ichi-nii. But I have to go get Karin first. I promise I'll bring her back with me, though. She shouldn't be by herself for too long."

He nodded, knowing what she was thinking. Karin had been growing more and more aggressive, even with Yuzu's calming influence. It was something neither of them could explain, but Ichigo thought he knew more about what was happening to Karin. The same thing had happened to him, after all, except he was still alive. Sometimes, that worried him more than he cared to admit.

"Hurry back," Ichigo sighed, giving Yuzu a final squeeze.

"I will," she promised, pressing her cool, soft lips against his chin in a tender kiss. Then she simply faded right before his eyes, her slight weight vanishing from his knee.

Ichigo closed his eyes tightly, counted to ten, and looked at the window again.

He was not at all surprised to see that half of his face was hidden in shadow, with one beady, golden eye glaring back at him. That was happening more and more often, especially when his sisters were around. Ichigo still had no idea if it was really there, as it only showed up in reflective surfaces, and none of his friends had ever commented on it.

"You shouldn't have let her go," the dark half hissed at him. "The shinigami are coming, and they won't care that she's your baby sister. All they'll see is a Hollow, and then they'll kill what's left of her soul."

"That won't happen," Ichigo swore angrily. "I won't let it."

"Yeah," the dark half said in an approving tone that was almost a purr. "That's what I like to hear. We'll take care of them, just like we did the first freak that threatened what was ours. But this time, the only deaths will be on their side. Because you need to kill them. It's the only way we'll get strong enough to protect the girls, and stop them from changing. You have to be the top dog. That's all there is to it."

"Whatever it takes to keep them safe and with me," Ichigo agreed, clenching his fists. "Just tell me what I need to do to kill these... shinigami."

"Oh, that part's easy," the dark half chuckled. "They're not so different from the everyday Hollows you've dealt with, except they'll be stronger and faster. Plus they'll look human, but don't let that throw you. What they can do to your sisters is so much worse than what a Hollow could..."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as his reflection return to normal. He stormed out of his bedroom, taking the steps two at a time. He very nearly ran into Chad, who was on his way up.

"Get the others. We're going hunting tonight."

Chad blinked, the only sign that he instantly agreed. "More Hollows?" he asked absently.

"No," Ichigo replied, his eyes glinting with malice. "Better."

* * *

"Captain Unohana? Orihime is asking to see you."

"Is she?" Captain Unohana murmured, glancing back at her lieutenant. "I'd have thought she and Rukia would be on their way by now." The healer looked down at her current patient. "It's up to you."

"I don't mind," Hinamori replied with a smile. "I haven't seen her in ages."

"Very well. Show her in, please, Isane."

A moment later, Isane returned with Orihime, who froze at the sight before her.

"Oh, Momo-chan, your arm!"

"It's not as bad as it looks," Hinamori said quickly, though she was obviously doing her best not to look at the damage. "Well, it looked a lot worse before I came in here, anyway. And you don't have to lecture me on being careful, I got enough of that from Toshiro."

"You should take a good look, Orihime," Unohana said quietly. "That way, I won't have to warn you to be careful in the world of the living. Lieutenant Hinamori was lucky that she had a good team with her."

"How did it happen?" Orihime asked, unable to stop herself from reaching over to rub Hinamori's back reassuringly.

Hinamori sighed. "I got distracted, and a Hollow wanted to find out if I tasted good. I'm more embarrassed than anything else."

"Captain, do you think I could-?"

"No, Orihime," Unohana replied firmly. "Save your strength for your mission. I think I can look after my patient just fine."

Orihime blushed. "I-I meant no disrespect, Captain."

Unohana smiled kindly. "I know you didn't. But you two were selected for this mission for a reason, and you need to keep that in mind. Rukia's life may depend on it at some point, so I would prefer that you have all the strength that you need then."

"Well, if either of you does get bitten, we can always compare our scars later," Hinamori added with a small smile.

Unohana shook her head. "Please, Hinamori, don't encourage her."

* * *

Although she was reluctant to admit it, Tatsuki had never really been the leader type. Ichigo was always the one that plunged headfirst into things, and she usually just got dragged along for the ride, either out of loyalty or boredom. Besides, Ichigo was never far from a good fight, and Tatsuki liked to fight.

Uryu was no leader, either, and out of their group, he was the one that Tatsuki liked the least. He was a jerk, he talked too much, and he always seemed to know everything that she didn't. But all that aside, he thought himself a gentleman, and on the night that Tatsuki had first discovered her powers, he had been there to convince her that she wasn't a monster. For that, she would tolerate him and count him among her friends.

But she certainly didn't have to like it when she drew patrol duty with him.

For once, though, Uryu was being rather quiet as they both sat on the roof of Karakura High School. They had been staring into the night sky for close to two hours now with no results, and Tatsuki needed some way to pass the time.

"Hey, Uryu. You were the only one that seemed to know anything when Ichigo first mentioned this shinigami. What are they like?"

Uryu blinked and lowered the telescope he'd been peering through. "They were once the mortal enemies of my kind. But that was a long time ago, and I'd be surprised if any of them could recognize a Quincy on sight anymore. Their work in itself is noble enough, but it's the people that do the work that I find fault with."

"So you hate them?" Tatsuki asked.

"I have no love for them, and I have no problem treating them the way we normally treat Hollows. At least Hollows are honest in their cruelty."

Tatsuki frowned. "And they'll really try to hurt Yuzu and Karin?"

"I don't know if 'hurt' is quite the right word," Uryu said slowly. "But I do know that a shinigami would separate them from Ichigo, and that is all that we need to know. It would be best if... oh, excuse me for a moment."

She looked up as Uryu drew back his arm, his lips thinning into a slight frown as black energy crackled between his fingertips. The arrow was only visible for an instant before it flew from his fingers.

There was a muted explosion in the distance, followed by a dying roar, and then silence.

Then a stream of blood red particles rushed towards them, coating Uryu's body in a sickly crimson aura for a few seconds.

"It would be best," he continued as the aura faded, "if you thought of shinigami only as our enemies. It would make things simpler."

"I guess," she murmured.

Uryu started to say something else, but paused when he noticed a shadow moving behind Tatsuki's head.

Noticing the direction of his gaze, she waved off his concern and closed her eyes, silently channeling every bit of her spiritual energy into her left fist, and then driving it into the face of the Hollow that had snuck up behind her.

The explosion that followed was by no means muted, and made Uryu exceedingly glad that Hollows did not explode into blood and gore when defeated in such a manner. He understood and accepted that Tatsuki had yet to learn any other way to attack, but it was a bit annoying that he went through earplugs so quickly.

"Hmm. That was a little one," Tatsuki noted as the blood red particles surrounded her fist. "Hardly even worth the effort. At this rate, we'll never get anywhere near Ichigo's level."

"Sometimes, I think that's a good thing, Tatsuki."

* * *

There were many things that Chad didn't understand.

The unspoken bond between he and Ichigo grew stonger every day. He suspected that it had to do with the number of Hollows they had each absorbed. At their first meeting, Chad had mistaken Ichigo for the strongest Hollow he'd ever sensed. Even now, he had never felt a presence stronger than Ichigo, so he was confident in his friend's ability to handle anything.

But Ichigo's shape never seemed to change all that much. Yet each time Chad used his powers, it took everything he had to keep his human form. He always worried what he might become, if he ever lost control. But Ichigo had promised over and over again that no matter how much Chad changed, they would remain friends. Ichigo never promised things lightly, so Chad chose to believe in him.

The only thing Chad knew for sure about his "other" shape was that the arms on it were enormous. That, and for some reason, each time he started to change, Kurosaki Karin appeared before him. She was drawn to that form as he had been drawn to Ichigo. But where Chad was content to simply call Ichigo his friend and be around him, Karin was only satisfied by perching on Chad's shoulder, regardless of what he was doing at the moment. Even when he slept, she would curl up next to him, her head resting against his arm.

There was really no explaining her behavior around him. Unlike Yuzu, Karin rarely used words anymore, relying mostly on growls to speak. Chad knew it was because she was further along in her transformation, just like he was. Her face was always deathly pale, and often her feet disappeared entirely, forcing her to glide more than she walked.

But that didn't matter to Chad. He hadn't known Karin when she was alive, but when she was near him, he felt complete. It was more than just friendship, or having a constant companion. He would sacrifice himself in an instant, if it might save her from further pain.

Chad had no idea what the shinigami wanted from them. He only knew that if they threatened Ichigo's family, he would show no mercy.

* * *

Rukia and Orihime had only been in the human world for a moment when they were approached by a small girl named Ururu, with greater spiritual pressure than most lieutenants in the Gotei 13. Rukia was immediately suspicious, but Orihime, who was often an excellent judge of character, thought they should trust her. Rukia's wariness only grew when the girl led them to a store with the following sign out front: "Urahara's Shinigami Shop: Half Off Everything for 1st and 2nd Seats!"

Urahara was an infamous traitor to the Soul Society, so Rukia was amazed that he would approach them so willingly. But she understood why, the moment she laid eyes on his cane. She could sense the raw power of his zanpakuto within, and knew he had nothing to fear from them.

"I'm glad you decided to visit me," Urahara told them while his assistants served tea. "I suspect there is a great deal your superiors failed to tell you about the Hollows you will encounter here."

"What would a traitor like you know about it?" Rukia demanded.

Urahara smiled and sipped his tea. "I know they're expecting you, and if you rush into this without listening to my warning, you will die. Neither of you can defeat Kurosaki Ichigo. His friends will only make an impossible task even more so. If you insist on facing him, I would suggest taking a few of my little helpers along. With them, at least, you might be able to retreat without losing any limbs."

"Is he really so powerful?" Orihime asked in awe.

"Yes, but that isn't the point," Urahara continued. "What's really dangerous is his determination. Under different circumstances, he might've become a Captain-level shinigami by now. But as things stand, you're on a suicide mission."

"And why would you care what happens to us?" Rukia asked slowly.

"With every Hollow they defeat and absorb, Ichigo and his friends get much stronger. I don't even want to think about what a lieutenant and a Captain-level shinigami might do for them."

Rukia frowned as Orihime shyly looked at the floor. There was a great deal of controversy as to how powerful Orihime truly was, but most agreed that Tsubaki's ability to manifest himself, especially without permission, placed Orihime far closer to achieving Bankai than Rukia. Most shinigami were generally smart enough not to say so in Rukia's presence, though.

"So, do you still plan to engage them?" Urahara asked calmly. "For a small fee, I might be inclined to describe how you died to the Soul Society."

"I've heard enough," Rukia spat. "We do not need or want your help, traitor."

Urahara chuckled to himself, reaching over to lightly stroke the black cat lounging at his side. "Tell Bya-kun that Yoruichi sends her regards."

Rukia's mouth dropped open in shock before she snapped it shut in her fury and stormed from the room.

Orihime quickly bowed to Urahara before hurrying after her friend.

"It's a shame they're going to be cut down in their prime," Urahara sighed. "And I really do think Ichigo might be too difficult to manipulate afterwards."

"Don't be so sure," the cat murmured, raising its head. "I don't think Ichigo will kill them. That is, something won't allow him to. He can be ruthless, but even now, he still possesses his heart. Rukia and Orihime don't understand that, but they will in time."

"You're way too optimistic, Yoruichi. Rukia's mouth will get her in trouble, and Orihime will be too reluctant to kill Ichigo. They'll both be dead by morning."

**End of Part 1.**

* * *

Endnotes:

Just a lil' note about Orihime's powers here: they're largely the same, with the exception that Tsubaki now serves as her zanpakuto (since he's the only fairy that actually attacks). So when not in use, he appears as a sheathed sword, instead of a hairpin.

Rukia's more forceful and impulsive here partially because she's a lieutenant, but also because she's determined to look after Orihime, who can also be rather impulsive.

Don't expect anyone close to Ichigo to have the same limitations as normal Hollows, simply because nobody close to Ichigo ever stays limited for very long.


	2. Battle Lines

Notes: Whoa, I'm shocked at how many responses, faves, and alerts the first chapter picked up. Makes me wish I'd done this sooner.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 2: Battle Lines**

* * *

Rukia and Orihime had been friends for years before they became shinigami. That same bond made them nearly unbeatable as a team. Both could attack from virtually any range, but Rukia specialized in swift, crippling blows, slowly chipping away at her foes until they could no longer defend themselves. Orihime's Tsubaki was more of an eradicator, destroying anything in his path, although he was much harder to control, as they usually clashed over about what his targets should be. For that reason, Orihime's focus was primarily defense, generally depending on Tsubaki only in the rare instances where her shield failed.

The two were so often together that it was easy to forget that they were both formidable individual fighters as well.

Ichigo had known none of that going in. He'd merely studied their spiritual pressures from a distance, decided that Orihime was the stronger one, and had his friends ambush Rukia while he dealt with Orihime alone.

Strategically, it was the worst possible choice. Orihime was better equipped to handle multiple opponents, but Rukia was the more experienced at it. Aside from that, only Orihime would've tried to appeal to Ichigo's human nature, which, despite all evidence to the contrary, was far more substantial than even he realized.

* * *

Rukia hated to admit it, but Urahara had been right: a great deal of information had been left out of the mission briefing. Either Soul Society needed better scouts, or the 13th Division (or perhaps just Rukia, Orihime, and their captain) had purposely been left in the dark. She didn't want to pursue the implications of that right now, so Rukia just assumed it was the former.

The plan had been to ambush the Hollows, but Rukia and Orihime had been ambushed first.

Urahara had given them directions to the Kurosaki house, but those hadn't been needed: Rukia could not recall the last time she'd felt such a strong concentration of Hollows, despite the fact that there were supposedly only a handful.

The first attack had come almost two full blocks away from the house: an enormous amount of quickly approaching energy, which hit in their midst like a meteor. Neither Rukia nor Orihime had been hurt, but that wasn't the intent. Rukia had just barely regained her bearings when she was surrounded and driven relentlessly towards an empty park. She'd been far too busy dodging to keep an eye on Orihime, so all she knew for sure was that Orihime was on her own if and when Ichigo appeared.

What worried Rukia the most was how organized the Hollows were. The main attacker was Arisawa, who seemed to be an entirely close-range fighter. She'd been in Rukia's face from the start, launching fierce, quick punches and kicks that, if they had hit, certainly would've hurt. But Rukia was just fast enough to avoid them, so that was no real problem.

Until she factored in the Quincy, who was taking every opportunity to fire his arrows each time that Rukia successfully dodged one of Arisawa's attacks. Even there, Rukia was fast enough to dodge the arrows themselves. What she couldn't dodge, however, was the searing air that marked the arrows' paths, and the pain from those made her pause long enough for Arisawa to land a successful hit.

And worst of all was the final Hollow, and by far the strongest present. So far, he had done nothing, save for that meteor-like opening attack, but that alone told Rukia all that she needed to know. She had her hands full with just Arisawa and the Quincy, and if this last player entered the fight, then she was likely to become a statistic, just as Urahara predicted.

Ten minutes into the fight, Rukia was in serious trouble. Arisawa wasn't weakening, and the Quincy was firing just as fast as he had from the start. Rukia, on the other hand, was almost covered in blisters and bruises. Even when she managed to block Arisawa's attacks with her sword, the impact jarred her entire body.

There simply wasn't any time to prepare an attack, but Rukia was fortunate in that she'd foreseen such a possibility years ago, while she was still training with Captain Hitsugaya.

"You must be flexible, Rukia," he would always say. "If you find yourself in trouble, then you must turn your offense into defense. Your zanpakuto is suitable for such a thing."

The words had just run through her head when Arisawa's fist slammed into her sword... and snapped it in half, plowing through the air to crash into Rukia's unprotected stomach. Rukia's world flashed white with pain, and then her body was sailing weightlessly through the air, just before crashing violently to the ground.

It must have looked just as bad as it felt, because Rukia was dimly aware of Arisawa muttering, "Shit, Uryu, I think I killed her..."

"No," the Quincy said from a distance. "She wouldn't be a lieutenant if she could die from that. Stay on your guard, Tatsuki."

"But look! She's not even breath-"

"Tatsuki, stop!"

Rukia waited until she was certain the Quincy had come closer, most likely to stop his partner from getting any closer to her. All that mattered was that she could feel they were both in range for what she had planned.

"Fourth Dance, White Mirror," she whispered through blood-soaked lips.

The ground beneath her instantly froze over, and Rukia welcomed the numbing cold against her face. She heard Arisawa and the Quincy shout in surprise as their feet were frozen to the ground, but that was only the start of her attack.

"Watch me, Nii-sama," Rukia breathed, slowly pushing herself up to all fours. "I'll show you I'm worthy of this name you gave me." She raised her eyes and smiled at the sight before her.

Tiny snowflakes were raining down all around them. The last Hollow was just beyond their reach, but that didn't matter. His friends were lost to him now.

Within a minute, the snowflakes began to stop. Arisawa and the Quincy traded confused glances, just before their bodies erupted into fountains of blood, staining the ice red as they fell.

Rukia sighed heavily as she caught the final snowflake in her palm, beautifully formed and razor-sharp. Her eyes narrowed as the final Hollow began to approach, slowly but surely.

"Chad," the Quincy gasped as his friend drew closer, "stay back. She's dangerous."

"I know," Chad said, finally stopping several feet away from Rukia.

"Will you surrender?" Rukia asked loudly, despite how foolish it sounded.

"I can't do that," Chad replied, his left arm flickering and then becoming completely transparent. "I made a promise to a little girl."

Rukia had no time to consider his words as a huge, ghostly fist suddenly crashed into her from behind. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as she flew through the air, landing neatly in Chad's waiting arms.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and Rukia was amazed to see sorrow and tenderness in his eyes just before she blacked out.

* * *

Ichigo rarely felt anything when he fought Hollows these days. He'd long since killed the one responsible for the deaths of his family, and the satisfaction from that had faded quickly. The little he did feel came entirely from his dark half, and that was mostly a kind of twisted pleasure that made Ichigo a little nauseous, when it was strong enough.

All that aside, he had prepared himself to kill the shinigami. He told himself over and over again that they would take Yuzu and Karin away, and that they needed to be destroyed.

But the plan, such as it was, had consisted entirely of killing the stronger shinigami in a single blow. Most of Ichigo's plans were similar to that, and surprisingly efficient. So long as you had the power and the determination to pull it off, it always worked. Ichigo had the power... but when he first laid eyes on the shinigami, his determination was lacking.

She was far smaller than he'd expected (never mind that she was a "she" at all): almost frail, bent over and coughing as the dust settled around her. Her hair was long and bright-colored, held back and up by an odd pair of hairpins and a clip in the back. Ichigo could tell just by looking that it would be soft to the touch, and he could think of only one reason why he might feel that way.

"She's like Yuzu," he murmured.

Hearing his voice, she turned towards him, her eyes tearing slightly as she straightened up. "Rukia?" she asked hesitantly, waving a hand before her face in a half-hearted attempt to clear the air.

It was the perfect chance to kill her, but Ichigo already knew that he wouldn't, despite the grumbling protests of his dark half.

She was still looking around aimlessly when he reached out and gently grasped her arm, leading her out of smoke. She followed willingly enough, although he could tell from her confused expression that she recognized he wasn't her missing friend.

As the smoke cleared, her eyes widened as she gazed up at him. "Y-You're..." she said softly, trailing off as her mouth worked in silence. She was clearly shocked, but there was also recognition in her eyes, and Ichigo wasn't sure if that was good or bad. He quickly let go of her arm.

The loss of physical contact seemed to wake her up, and she took two steps back. "You're Kurosaki-san," she murmured, her voice much steadier now.

"You two shouldn't be here," Ichigo said. "You should leave while you can. Whatever you came here for, you won't get it."

She frowned, shaking her head slightly. "But you're not... you're supposed to be..."

"What?"

"You're human," she said at last. "At least, more human than-"

"I can be a monster, when I need to be," he growled, startling her. "That's why I'm warning you now: leave."

Her eyes softened. "You're not a monster."

Ichigo blinked, wondering how she could say that with such conviction. She knew nothing about him, and yet... if she was really like Yuzu, he shouldn't have been surprised at all.

"I'm Orihime," she said after a moment. "Can I call you Ichigo?"

His first thought was to say no. Even if she did seem terribly nice, she still had to be the enemy. But a soft, wavering growl behind him made Ichigo pause.

Orihime took another step back as Karin appeared, her claws digging into Ichigo's shoulder as she leered at the shinigami. Her transformation was farther along than he'd ever seen it: she had no obviously human parts anymore. Her body was a crimson, almost serpentine mass of flesh, topped off by a sinister bone-white mask, which was framed by oily black hair.

Karin tensed as Ichigo reached up to stroke her cheek, but she finally relaxed and leaned into his palm, her growls giving way to a kind of contented hissing.

Orihime said nothing as she watched, though her face seemed to have lost a bit of its color.

"You don't understand. You can't," Ichigo said, sounding both angry and disappointed.

"I-I'm trying," Orihime insisted. She took a step forward, but stopped when Karin began to growl again. "Why...?"

"She doesn't like you. All the more reason why you should leave."

But Orihime shook her head. "Who is she to you?"

"She's my sister."

Something in Orihime's face changed immediately, and Ichigo sensed that whatever it was, she was no longer a threat to them, if she ever had been at all.

But whatever peace they'd established was quickly shattered when white-hot pain exploded in Ichigo's shoulder, dislodging Karin violently and knocking him to his knees. Blood poured from the wound, even as it began to rapidly go numb.

"Raise your head and prepare to die, Hollow," said a cold, cruel voice as a white, glowing blade came to rest against his throat.

Ichigo slowly lifted his eyes to see the other shinigami standing over him. Tatsuki and Uryu had clearly done a number on her, but she was obviously well enough to keep fighting. Her dark eyes promised nothing but further pain, and yet Ichigo couldn't deny that he was drawn to them in some odd way.

"Rukia, wait!" Orihime cried, rushing over to her friend. "Don't hurt him!"

Rukia spared Orihime an incredulous glance, but quickly returned her gaze to Ichigo. "I didn't get these wounds tripping over a rock, Orihime," she snapped. "These Hollows are far more dangerous than-"

"NO!" Orihime shouted, startling them both. "He's not dangerous! He's only trying to protect-"

"Protect what?! His next meal? Because there's nothing else that a Hollow would bother to stick his neck out for! I don't know what he told you, but we can't just let him go free!"

"But if you'd just listen," Orihime pleaded, "you'd see that he's different from other Hollows!"

"Only in that he's stronger, and that just means we have to deal with him now, before he gets any more powerful!"

Orihime opened her mouth to defend Ichigo, but whatever reply she had prepared was cut off by high-pitched, insane giggling.

"She's right, you know," Ichigo whispered, his head lowered as his shoulders shook. "You should've killed me when you had the chance, shinigami." He slowly looked up, revealing his snow-white hair and face, yellow eyes dancing with twisted pleasure. "Because now you're BOTH DEAD!!!"

Rukia and Orihime simply stared in horror, unable to move at all thanks to the enormous, crushing spiritual pressure that accompanied the shriek. It turned out not to matter at all, because an instant later, Ichigo was behind them.

"I'll deal with you later," he said, and then Orihime went flying, the victim of a half-hearted backhand. She only cleared a few feet before she struck a glowing, triangular shield provided by her Shun Shun Rikka. It saved her from serious injury, but she still hit with enough force that if the initial blow hadn't knocked her out, the landing certainly would've.

Ichigo gave Rukia his full attention at that point. A solid punch to her stomach drove the wind out of her and dropped her to the ground, where she rolled onto her side and spat out a great deal of blood. Unimpressed, Ichigo merely dropped his full weight onto her ribs, and the resulting scream was like music to his ears.

"I could do this messy," he said in a conversational tone. "But I feel like I should thank you for letting me out. It's not often someone wakes me up so fully. So I won't even tear you apart. I'll just strangle you. But your friend, SHE'S annoying. Her, I'll have to have a little fun with first."

Rukia closed her eyes, unable to stop the tears that fell as Ichigo's hands closed around her throat, almost gently at first, but quickly applying more and more pressure, until-

"No, nii-chan. This isn't right."

Her eyes snapped open, and Rukia was amazed to see a small girl clinging to Ichigo's arm, despite the murderous intent in his yellow eyes.

"Dammit, Yuzu, not now!" Ichigo snarled at her, but she continued to gaze up at him with sad, damp eyes.

"No, nii-chan. You have to stop now. It's enough."

"It isn't!" he roared. "You don't know what they'll do!"

Yuzu shook her head. "It's different this time. She isn't like Grand Fisher."

"She's WORSE!" Ichigo howled.

"Please stop, nii-chan," Yuzu whispered, pressing her face into his arm. "You promised you'd never leave us. Ichi-nii wouldn't do this... and I want him back. Now."

One moment, Ichigo was glaring at Rukia, his hands still locked around her throat. In the next, he'd let her go, and was hugging Yuzu tightly with such a clear need that it was almost heartbreaking to watch. His hair quickly returned to the odd orange that Rukia remembered from the file, his skin regaining its color almost as fast.

"It's okay, Ichi-nii," Yuzu whispered soothingly, wrapping her small arms around his neck. "It's okay."

Rukia may have been stunned by all of this, but her survival instincts kicked in, and she began to crawl towards Orihime's unmoving body as fast as she could. Her ribs were on fire, and even the smallest movements brought fresh agony, but as far as Rukia was concerned, she could still die here. Ichigo could snap at any moment, and she had no doubt that when Chad finally broke free from the glacier she'd trapped him in, he'd come after her first.

But Rukia again found herself the victim of too little information, because just a few inches away from Orihime, something slammed into the back of her head and began to rip her back to shreds. Through the pain, she heard Yuzu shout, "Karin, NO!" but was aware of little else as she looked up to see Tsubaki bearing down on her, with righteous fury burning in his eyes.

* * *

Tsubaki and Rukia had never gotten along. Orihime understood why, though: Rukia was her immediate superior, and so Orihime had to obey her. Orihime almost never obeyed Tsubaki, usually because he wanted to fight when she didn't. He was the type to bear a grudge over such a slight, even though he accepted that Rukia was in some ways a better guardian for Orihime than he could ever be.

All the same, Tsubaki delighted in getting on Rukia's nerves. Often he would assume human shape just to tease her for a moment, or keep his smaller shape and circle her head rapidly, buzzing like a very determined housefly. He was the only one of the Shun Shun Rikka who didn't refer to Rukia with either respect or affection, preferring to simply call her "Snow Beast."

Yet, the few times Tsubaki had been called on to defend Rukia, he had done so without hesitation or mercy. Orihime had even recognized that sometimes the thought was barely even formed in her mind before Tsubaki rushed to aid Rukia, so it had to be more his choice than hers. So it was no real surprise that Tsubaki would appear while Orihime was unconscious and Rukia was in mortal danger.

But in this case, things were a bit different. Tsubaki was actually the last of the Shun Shun Rikka to appear, the others having manifested earlier, first to protect Orihime, and then to move her a safe distance away. By the time they'd gotten around to retrieving Rukia, Tsubaki was already locked in battle with Ichigo. Karin was down and gravely wounded, as Tsubaki had left a gaping hole just under the obvious one in her chest, and Yuzu was keeping the wound covered with her own hands, for all the good it did. Ichigo was fighting like mad to keep Tsubaki from hurting Karin any further. Neither one would back down, and while Ichigo could easily withstand Tsubaki's attacks, Tsubaki was just faster at this point... but Rukia knew that was only because Ichigo hadn't transformed into his other self yet.

She also knew that Tsubaki wouldn't back off unless she told him to. And despite everything that had just happened to her, she didn't want to see Karin destroyed, if only because it might bring out that other Ichigo again.

"Tsubaki," Rukia whispered weakly as she was lifted into the air on a cushion provided by the Shun Shun Rikka, "we have to go back now."

For a moment, Tsubaki actually hesitated. Then he glanced over his shoulder at her, as if to remind himself how seriously Rukia was hurt, before slowly moving to stand beside her, his steely gaze still trained on the Kurosakis. It was only when Rukia reached out to gently grasp his hand that he allowed himself to be drawn away. But they didn't get far before an enormous shadow fell over them like a second night. Tsubaki tensed immediately, preparing to attack.

"Chad!" Ichigo shouted, shaking his head. "Let them go. Make sure they get back to where they belong, safely."

There was a long pause, and then the biggest hand that any of them had ever laid eyes on, every inch of it cloaked in darkness, slowly came out of the sky, carefully closed around the shinigami, and gently carried them off.

* * *

A Menos Grande had breached the Seireitei.

It had simply never happened before, and the story on how it happened, if true, was completely astounding.

The Menos Grande had entered through Jidanbo's gate. Not over it, but through it, without the slightest hint of violence. When questioned as to why he had allowed it, Jidanbo admitted that it was highly irregular, but that the Menos Grande had presented a passport of sorts, in the form of a severely wounded Kuchiki Rukia, and a slightly embarrassed Inoue Orihime, who had explained the situation as best she could. And everyone knew that Jidanbo had always been fond of Orihime, so he wasn't going to let her best friend die on the street simply because of protocol.

From there, the Menos Grande had gone straight to the 4th Division, where he released the two shinigami directly into Captain Unohana's care. And Orihime had even waved and shouted, "Thank you, Chad!"

To which the Menos Grande responded with a clumsy but well-meaning, "Um, sorry about all this," before quickly retreating through an enormous fissure in the sky that snapped shut behind him.

Many officers claimed that the Menos Grande had been wearing an odd mask, in that there appeared to be a large coin embedded in the chin, and that the Hollow seemed to be wearing a huge set of headphones, but this was largely chalked up to odd cloud formations at the time, at least until Lieutenant Kusajishi of the 11th Division was heard to complain, "Ken-chan, I want some headphones just like the big, nice Hollow had! Get them for me right now!"

Even Captain Unohana could only speak in the Menos Grande's defense. "Well, he was a perfect gentlemen. I even observed him tiptoeing on his way out, so he wouldn't crush anything too important. I never thought I'd say it, but we could use more Hollows like that."

* * *

"So they were defeated."

"You're surprised?"

Urahara chuckled. "Only that they're still alive. Especially after Chad transformed."

The black cat in his lap shook its head. "He never was the violent type. At least, he never wanted to be."

"Which is ironic, since he and the Quincy tend to absorb Hollow particles at nearly twice the usual rate, even when they're not aware of it. Frankly, I'm amazed Chad hasn't evolved any farther."

"He probably doesn't want to, and between his resisting, and Ichigo's will, I doubt it'll ever happen."

* * *

"Good morning, Lieutenant Kuchiki," Captain Unohana said as Rukia slowly opened her eyes in the 4th Division. "I hope you're feeling better, as we have much to discuss today."

Rukia blinked a few times and frowned. "Captain, haven't I asked you not to call me that? It feels weird coming from you. You're like my mother."

Unohana smiled pleasantly. "It warms my heart to hear you say that, Rukia, but I believe this is more a time to behave formally."

Rukia suddenly noticed that they weren't alone, and blushed when she recognized the others. Byakuya was standing near the wall with his eyes closed. Orihime was right next to him, clutching his sleeve, a nervous habit that he'd never quite been able to rid her of, much to his chagrin. On her other side was Renji, who was doing his best not to look worried, and failing miserably. Oddly enough, the last person present was Yachiru, and she had attached herself to Byakuya's shoulder. Her mouth was occupied with a giant lollipop, which explained why she hadn't said anything yet.

"I think we should deal with the most urgent news first," Unohana continued. "As you will no doubt notice, I have not healed you yet."

Rukia blinked in surprise and glanced down at her body, which was clean and bandaged, but otherwise just as the healer had said. "But why?"

"Your wounds are rather curious. I have detected an unusually large amount of Hollow particles in your body, to the point where I am hesitant to attempt the typical removal procedure. The fact remains that there is only one procedure in place, but I will not use it, for fear of worsening your condition. Still, we must do something before your body starts to heal on its own. The worst thing we could do is allow the Hollow particles to remain in your body while the wounds close."

"What could happen?" Rukia asked quietly.

"At worst, you could develop an inner Hollow that would gradually take over your mind and body. But I assure you, I will take some action long before that could happen. However, I will first need to know everything you do about the Hollows that attacked you. Orihime has already given me her report, and I will need you to fill in the blanks."

Trying to keep her desperate situation out of her head, Rukia told them everything that had happened, as she had no real reason to hold anything back. She felt Byakuya's gaze when she reached the part about mimicking his attack, but gave no sign other than a hopefully unnoticed blush. Yachiru was especially attentive to every mention of Chad, though Rukia had no idea why.

"This is unfortunate," Unohana said when Rukia was done. "I do wish you'd accepted Urahara's offer of help."

Rukia gaped at her. "Captain, he's a traitor!"

"No, he is in exile," Unohana responded at once. "Has it never occurred to you that we need allies outside of the Seireitei? You will notice that there are no active attempts to locate him, and that is because we know exactly where he is. I don't think you would be so badly hurt if you had let him help you. I expect you to apologize to him for your rudeness at the first available opportunity. He may not be your friend, but you certainly don't want him as your enemy."

"You are still too impulsive, Rukia," Byakuya said suddenly. "When you promised me that you would become a lieutenant worthy of note, I had no idea that you intended to pattern yourself after my own lieutenant."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Renji demanded angrily.

"I believe the implication was obvious."

"Now, now, play nice, you two," Orihime interrupted as Renji took a threatening step towards Byakuya. "We're all here for Rukia, not to fight. You can do that on your own time."

"Damn right we can," Renji growled.

Rukia couldn't help it, she had to cover her mouth with a hand before a giggle slipped out. She quickly cleared her throat and asked, "Um, Captain, instead of extracting the Hollow particles... is there any way to suppress them?" Rukia still had a very clear image of Yuzu somehow returning Ichigo to his original state with her touch and just a few heartfelt pleas.

For a moment, there was a look of shock, and possibly disgust on Unohana's face, but it vanished quickly. "What would cause you to suggest that, Rukia?"

"Just, um... looking for alternate solutions, I guess," Rukia murmured. "I mean, you're the best healer here, and if you can't help me..."

"I never said that I couldn't help you at all, only that we need to be very careful. We'll leave you to get some rest now."

"Captain, can't we stay a little-" Renji began, only to fall silent as Unohana turned towards him. The calm expression on her face did not change in the least, but something in it made Renji pale and back up.

"We'll leave you to get some rest now," Unohana repeated firmly, and without another word, the others filed out of the room. Once they were gone, she leaned closer to Rukia. "Tell me something, Rukia. Have you been speaking with Captain Aizen recently?"

Rukia blinked slowly. "No." In truth, she had never spoken to the man. She was far too intimidated by his power and perfection, and wondered how Hinamori could stand being his lieutenant, imperfect as she was. "Why do you ask?"

"Because your suggestion... sounded like something he might say. And that is very dangerous thinking, Rukia, especially in your condition."

* * *

Uryu had always been the resident healer, when healing was needed. Ichigo recovered fairly fast from anything, and Chad had yet to actually feel pain that the others were aware of. Uryu was easily the most qualified, as his studies in both medicine and Quincy techniques gave him a rather unique perspective on using spirit energy to heal. Admittedly, it had taken a few failed attempts, as Uryu basically had to reverse everything he'd been taught as a Quincy, but preserving Hollow forms was second nature to him now.

Karin had been the hardest to deal with this time, and only then because she was so unused to being injured in her present form. Getting her to hold still was the biggest challenge, but Yuzu finally managed it by humming a lullaby that even Ichigo had forgotten that their mother used to sing. Karin had fallen asleep at once, and Ichigo tucked her into his bed so she could rest.

The real surprise was when Chad stepped in to heal Uryu's own injuries. "What?" he asked when everyone stared at him in shock. "I've been watching when Uryu heals me. It wasn't that hard to pick up, and I've got a lot more Hollow particles to spare than he does."

"Well, I'm glad you were paying attention," Uryu said at last. "If I know shinigami, next time they'll either send someone stronger than the last two, or more lieutenants. I don't know about the rest of you, but I would not like a repeat of that last battle. I know I'm always saying this, but we need to get stronger. And since absorbing human souls is out of the question, then-"

"We need to find stronger Hollows," Ichigo concluded. "But if they aren't showing up here, then we need to go to where they are."

"I think I know where to start," Uryu added. "Ichigo, it's time you asked where Yuzu and Karin go when they aren't with you. Wherever that is, it's where Karin advanced her transformation. I understand they may not want to take us there, but-"

"I'll show you," Yuzu said quietly as she came downstairs. "I didn't want to at first, because I didn't want you all to start changing the way Karin did. But I think you're strong enough where the environment won't affect you the way it did her. And if there's a chance the shinigami won't be able to find us there, then..."

"Something has always puzzled me, Yuzu-chan," Tatsuki murmured. "Why is it you didn't change? You're with Karin most of the time, aren't you?"

"Yes," Yuzu agreed slowly. "I don't know why, but the environment there doesn't affect me the way it does Karin. She told me once... when she could still talk... that it's because I'm more like our mother. But I'm not sure what she meant."

Without warning, the doorbell rang.

Everyone stared at each other.

"That's the doorbell," Yuzu finally pointed out, realizing that it probably hadn't been heard in quite some time. Ichigo hadn't exactly encouraged visitors since her death.

"Right," Ichigo said, shaking his head as he approached the door.

It swung open just before he got there, revealing an odd man wearing a white and green-striped bucket hat that cast a shadow over his eyes. It was the sort of thing one might expect a psychopath or a beach bum to wear, really. And the man did nothing to dissuade them of this image by smiling an eerie smile, thrusting an equally odd blue-hooded chicken plushie into Ichigo's face, and saying brightly, "You look like a young man who could use a bit more chicken in his life!"

Ichigo blinked, scowled, and started to slam the door in the weirdo's face. But he'd made the mistake of letting the door open wide enough for Yuzu to see the visitor and, more importantly, the chicken in his hand.

"KAWAIIIIII!!!" Yuzu squealed, latching onto Ichigo's leg. "Ichi-nii, I want her!"

Sighing, Ichigo turned to the man and reluctantly asked, "How much?"

The strange man's grin widened. "How much you got?"

* * *

"Pssst! I brought you a cookie!"

Rukia opened her eyes and tried not to smile, but it was very hard not to with her best friend leaning over the bed. "Orihime, you're not supposed to be in here. What do you think Captain Unohana will do when she finds out?"

Orihime giggled. "Who do you think I got the cookie from? Scoot over!"

"I can't, I'm injured," Rukia deadpanned.

"You're no fun when you're injured," Orihime stated, stuffing the cookie into Rukia's mouth and climbing into the bed with little difficulty. "If you want to yell at me, you'll have to eat the cookie first. Captain Unohana would never forgive you if you did something as unsanitary as spitting a cookie onto her nice, clean floor."

Rukia ate the cookie, a bit reluctantly, despite it being a very good one. "I'm not going to yell at you. You brought me a cookie, after all."

"So you're not mad at me?" Orihime asked hopefully, draping an arm over Rukia.

"No. I'm too worried about me to be mad at you. I can be mad at you later, if you want to remind me."

"I'm sorry you got hurt, Rukia. I just... I thought I was doing the right thing. I still do."

"It... wasn't the wrong thing, exactly," Rukia murmured. "I know why you did it. Ichigo reminds you of Sora."

"And he reminds you of Kaien."

"He's NOTHING like Kaien," Rukia said at once.

"He thought we were going to take his sisters away, or hurt them, or worse. I really doubt he was acting normally. What would you do if someone was trying to hurt Byakuya?"

"Laugh," Rukia replied. "Possibly pity them. I might even bring flowers to their funeral, if I had nothing better to do."

"Rukia, you know what I mean. It's different when people mess with your family. I think that's the source of Ichigo's power, why he was so ready to kill us."

"You're wrong, Orihime," Rukia sighed. "The Ichigo that attacked us wasn't thinking about family. He was just thinking about killing."

"And yet one of his sisters was still able to reach him in that state. Nothing about this is in black and white, Rukia. It's all gray."

"And that's what scares me the most: that Ichigo might know something that could save me. But how am I supposed to ask him for help? How can we trust him?"

"Can we really afford not to at this point? We have to try, Rukia. Because I have no intention of losing my sister. Ichigo will understand that, at least."

"You're both idiots," Rukia whispered softly. "And you won't lose me. Captain Unohana won't let that happen."

"I've worked under her. I can tell when she's afraid of something. And she's afraid she can't help you. But you don't have to worry about that. Ichigo will help us. I know he will."

"How do you know?"

Orihime smiled a little. "No big brother with two little sisters would let someone else's die, if he could prevent it."

**End of Part 2.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Father's Will**

In the sands of Hueco Mundo, Ichigo discovers his father's legacy.

* * *

Endnotes:

Can anyone tell me why Sora's Hollow form is called Acidwire? I thought a name like that would be descriptive, but I can't see how it is. If I pulled this off right, you can probably guess why I'd want to know.

There actually is a reason why Yuzu hasn't changed as much as Karin, and it's tied into why she can suppress Ichigo's inner Hollow.

Yes, Chad is a Menos Grande (or Gillian-class, whichever you like better). Some of the time, anyway. Although his more common method of attack is to partially transform one of his arms. And before you all start telling me that a Menos Grande is much weaker than a shinigami lieutenant, keep in mind three things: 1) Chad and the others have only been absorbing Hollows, instead of Hollows and human souls, 2) Chad's Hollow powers have been exposed to Ichigo for some time now, and 3) this is CHAD.

To be clear, it isn't the suppression of Hollow particles that Unohana considers dangerous, but leaving them inside of the body at all. And surely you know of Aizen's interest in Hollow powers already.

No, Urahara isn't Chick-fil-A's new delivery boy. But that plushie is exactly who you think it is. Sort of.

_More Stuff (or why Rukia's attack is in English)_

I love Japanese, or what little I do know of it. But the fact is, I don't know how to use it that well, and if I pretended I did, I'd probably just misinform a bunch of people, and there's more than enough of that floating around. So I can offer tentative translations, or at least what I came up with in my research, but I'm going to stick with the tongue that I actually do know.

I wanted Rukia's fourth attack or dance to use a mirror, which in turn would mimic Byakua's attack (this time, at least). All of Rukia's attacks so far have a partial word that means "white" in them: -shiro (Toshiro!!!), haku- (femHaku!!!), and shira- (uh, femToshiro?!).

So I narrowed the "mirror" words down to a few possibles:

1) kikan: pattern; example; model; paragon; mirror

2) kyoukan: paragon; mirror

3) kyoukasuigetsu: flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface; something that is visible but having no substance; the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words

4) kyouzou: reflected image; mirror image

5) mitateru: (1) to select; to choose; (2) to liken to something else; to regard as something else (e.g. to use another person as a mirror); (3) to look after; to be (someone's) guardian

You can really see the Byakuya theme shining through, can't you? Anyway, I decided to go with one of the first two, since I really like the word "paragon" to describe Byakuya, for some reason. And I was all set to try combining them when I realized: I have no idea what I'm doing!

So you could argue that over what the Japanese name of the attack should be, because at this point the English one (Fourth Dance, White Mirror) is all I can commit to. My guess is that would be Yon no mai, Shirakikan in Japanese.


	3. Father's Will

Notes: Here is where the distinction between Hollows, shinigami, and Arrancar tends to blur a bit. My only real defense is that Kurosakis are notorious rule breakers, and it's all their fault.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 3: Father's Will**

* * *

Staring out over the endless, white sands of the Hollow world, Ichigo understood how Karin had lost what remained of her humanity. Surrounded by an eternal desert, where the sky was less something to be admired and more a vast, dark, THING that hung depressingly overhead... he could lose himself in that, too. The very air was saturated with Hollow particles, and with every breath, Ichigo felt his dark half shift and rumble in a pleased sort of way. He was fortunate that they'd reached an understanding early on: it would emerge only to fight enemies, or if the girls were in danger. Really, there was no other point: the dark half was only interested in power and violence, and they both understood that Yuzu and Karin made them stronger.

The others were handling it nearly as well. Whatever pains and sluggishness they'd been suffering from recently healed wounds had vanished within the first few hours in the dark desert. Karin was especially active as their appointed scout, occasionally darting ahead of the group to look for other Hollows, and then returning to Yuzu's side. It was not just Ichigo's imagination that Karin stood taller, and was a good deal larger than in the human world. This environment was good for her, despite the obvious dangers.

Yuzu was in high spirits, cheered by Karin's rapid recovery, and thoroughly enamored with her new chicken plushie, who she had named "Miss Clucky." Ichigo still got an odd vibe every time he looked at the thing, but he wasn't about to try and take it away from Yuzu. She was happier than he'd seen in a long time, and he wouldn't trade that for the world.

Chad was the only one having noticeable problems, and only then because he had always actively resisted his Hollow powers, to a certain degree. It wasn't that he despised the power, it was just that he preferred his human form. But the desert's call was greater than Chad's will, because just minutes after their arrival, Chad's arms and turned black, occasionally giving off an eerie red glow. The change was harder to resist because it felt so natural. Out of all of them, Chad was the only one who occasionally suffered "indigestion" from all the Hollows he'd absorbed, and had to assert his will every so often to keep control of his body. The new arms streamlined that process, and Chad had finally decided that it was easier to only have to fight one invisible opponent, instead of two. Karin approved, and was fond of rubbing her masked cheek against his arms, so that had been the end of that.

Hollows approached frequently at first, and were a good deal stronger than the usual ones. Karin attacked most of these, and Ichigo held the others back unless she needed help. Through unspoken agreement, Yuzu and Karin were the weakest of them, and they needed the strength that these victories brought more than anyone. But just as Ichigo had feared, while Karin grew stronger, Yuzu did not. Her body rejected most Hollow particles, so she stayed close to Tatsuki, gripping the older girl's arm with her right hand and carrying Miss Clucky in her left. Uryu walked on her other side, picking off any Hollows that took an interest in them from a distance. Most were attracted only to Ichigo and Chad, but a surprising number had ignored them and gone straight for Yuzu instead. Uryu frowned in an odd way every time this happened, but said nothing. He was obviously forming a theory in his head, but would share it only when he thought it was necessary. That was his way, and it usually worked out for the best.

Day never seemed to come as they walked, so they stopped to rest only when someone felt tired, and even that seemed to take many hours. But the someone was usually Yuzu: as the environment had no impact on her, it also did nothing to alleviate the fatigue that came from walking so far.

They had stopped for the third time when Uryu pulled Ichigo aside and shared his theory.

"I do not think Yuzu will ever transform into a full Hollow. And it isn't just you, Ichigo. Something is blocking the transformation, rejecting Hollow particles, and keeping this desert from changing her."

"So what is it?" Ichigo asked.

"I can think of only one thing that would do all of that, but it is still highly improbable. Becoming a mindless Hollow is essentially the worst fate in store for a soul. But at the other end of the spectrum, probably the best fate is to become a shinigami."

Ichigo stared at him in shock. "What?"

"That is what I was taught as a Quincy, and what I believed for a long time, before my beliefs were altered. My beliefs haven't changed since, but now I understand why shinigami are seen as bringers of light, while Hollows dwell in darkness. They safeguard the world order, while we make our own order. And I think that only shinigami blood could have protected Yuzu for this long."

"She isn't one of them," Ichigo growled at once.

"No, she isn't," the Quincy agreed calmly, adjusting his glasses. "She has no zanpakuto, no training, and no desire to betray us. But the fact remains that she may still be descended from a shinigami, and the same would apply to you and Karin. And it isn't all bad: shinigami are not so much evil as they are misguided at times. But there are exceptions, just as we are exceptions among Hollows. In this case, Yuzu is the exception among us, and that difference protects her."

"So you're saying one or both of my parents was...?"

Uryu shook his head. "I don't know for sure, but it's possible. It might even explain why Grand Fisher attacked you. Shinigami are thought of as being especially tasty among most Hollows. But I have yet to account for why shinigami blood hasn't manifested in you and Karin. Perhaps Yuzu got a stronger dose. But as strong as you are, Ichigo, I find it hard to believe that you have yet to encounter any trace of your shinigami heritage. It is... odd, and unlikely. There should have been some indication over the years. Something that tied you to them. But I have sensed nothing, so I can only assume that it happened before we met."

"There was nothing," Ichigo said, and while he was uncertain, he did believe it.

Uryu could see that as well. "I could be wrong. But it would make sense, in Yuzu's case. So if we want her to get stronger, I'm afraid we may only have one choice."

Ichigo sighed heavily and looked away. "We have to take her to the Soul Society..."

* * *

Over the next few days, Rukia entertained a string of somewhat unwelcome visitors.

First were the "team" of 2nd Division's Captain Soifon, and 12th Division's Captain Kurotsuchi. They'd both been sent to obtain detailed descriptions of the new Hollows, but Rukia couldn't help feeling the meeting would've been much more productive if only they'd come separately. Their distaste for each other was so overwhelming that they spent most of the time snapping at each other. Thankfully, Captain Unohana finally arrived and chased them out.

Next were Yachiru and the 11th Division's Captain Zaraki. It was expected that Yachiru would've told him everything she'd heard, as was Zaraki's eagerness to find and fight the Hollows. What Rukia hadn't expected was the Captain's interest in HER. Yachiru had also told him about the Hollow particles trapped in Rukia's body, and Zaraki was curious to find out if that would improve her fighting ability any. Nearly every Captain that was fond of Rukia had warned her away from engaging Zaraki in even a spar, as if she hadn't had the common sense to do so herself. But Zaraki was persistent, and even Captain Unohana had difficulty removing him, simply because he wasn't actually doing anything disruptive. He would just sit in Rukia's room, staring at her with a hungry look in his eyes, as if he expected her to jump up and be ready to fight at any given moment. Usually Yachiru was with him, which made him surprisingly more bearable, as it gave Rukia anything else to focus on.

But most confusing had been the 9th Division's Captain Tosen. He had merely warned Rukia against fighting the new Hollows again, saying that it was "likely to result in more senseless bloodshed." Rukia agreed with that much, but couldn't figure out why he had approached her, since they'd never spoken before. And she hadn't planned on going after Ichigo or any of his friends again. Orihime seemed to think that only Ichigo could save Rukia now, and that aside, the last thing Rukia wanted was for Ichigo to lose himself in anger and become that... other again. And as much as that side of Ichigo scared her, she was more afraid of the same thing happening to her. Would she know friend from foe as a Hollow? Would she even care? The thought of harming Orihime especially worried her, because Orihime would never order Tsubaki to attack Rukia. With any luck, Tsubaki would destroy Rukia on his own, if it came to that. But deep down, she suspected that he would only sacrifice himself to protect Orihime and the other Shun Shun Rikka, even if it meant leaving them without any way to attack.

* * *

In the heart of the white sands of Hueco Mundo, there was a sword. It had appeared mysteriously one day years ago, plummeting from the darkened sky and slamming into a tree with such force that the tree was split nearly in half. But the pale bark held strong, and from that day forward, the sword remained stuck fast in the tree. Hollows of varying strength tried to dislodge the sword, hungering for the sleeping power within it. But only the weakest could get close to it, and yet none of them could even budge it.

Around the sword's hilt was a simple cloth, and within this winding cloth sat an jewel of immeasurable beauty and power. It, too, existed in a state of binding sleep, awaiting the only one who was fit to wield the sword.

Together, these two creations had the power to change the world: the mystical Hogyoku of Urahara Kisuke, and the mighty Zangetsu, the last will and testament of Kurosaki Isshin.

Together they remained, and together they would wait.

* * *

"You're crazy, Hime. You really are."

Rangiku had said this many times over the years, and Orihime had always more or less ignored her. Nearly all of her friends said similar things at some point, so she'd thought they were just teasing. But there was no playfulness in Rangiku's voice this time, and that made Orihime rethink her decision, if only for a few seconds.

"No, I'm not, Ran-chan," Orihime replied. "I have to do this."

Rangiku frowned at her friend from her usual lounging spot on the couch in Captain Hitsugaya's office. "Oh, so you HAVE to go off alone to die in some godforsaken desert for a guy who's likely to kill you the moment he sees you? Well, so long as you HAVE to, forget I said anything at all!"

Orihime pouted at her. "Someone in the 2nd Division owed me a favor, and he saw the intelligence reports. I know it SOUNDS crazy, but-"

"It IS crazy!" Renji snapped. "Dammit, Orihime, I know I've let you do so crazy shit in the past, but not this time! No way! I promised Sora that I'd never let you do anything this stupid, and I'm not letting him down!"

It was usually a surefire way to get Orihime to back down from whatever she was determined to do, but amazingly, it didn't work this time.

"Sora wouldn't want Rukia to die the same way he did," Orihime whispered. "I need to do this, Renji. Don't you want to save her?"

"You even have to ask? I'd go in your place, if I thought it would make a difference. But from the way you described these Hollows, they're likely to attack any shinigami they come across, you especially!"

"Not to mention the likelihood of you encountering some other Hollows first," Rangiku pointed out. "What kind of friends would we be if we let you do something so colossally stupid alone?"

"Yeah, and-" Renji stopped when he noticed the wily look in Rangiku's eyes. "NO! HELL NO!"

"You know you want to," Rangiku giggled.

"I SAID HELL NO!"

"I'll let you get a peek at the girls," Rangiku added, thrusting her chest out a bit.

Orihime blushed when she saw that Renji actually considered it. "RENJI!" she cried in outrage.

Renji glared at her. "Hell, if I'm going to die because of you two, I'm damn sure going to do it happy! But forget that peek shit, I want a full on stare!"

Rangiku grinned. "One minute, and not a second longer. Hime can time us."

"I will not!" Orihime protested.

"Then get Shun'o to do it. SHE wouldn't leave me alone with a horny Renji."

Orihime blushed again. "Fine! But I'm not looking!"

Rangiku instantly became teary-eyed. "You think my girls are ugly, Hime?"

"What?! NO! I just-"

"Wait, you WANT her to look?!" Renji demanded.

Rangiku shrugged. "If we are going to die, she should know what she's missing out on."

"Girls are weird," Renji decided aloud. "Now let's see 'em."

"Wait, I don't have a watch!" Orihime cried as Rangiku opened up her robes...

...just in time for Captain Hitsugaya to walk in and demand, "What are you people doing in... my... gah..." His face turned bright red, his mouth working silently.

"Don't look away, my dear Captain," Rangiku cooed.

To his credit, Hitsugaya managed a loud cough instead of the expected nosebleed, although he still had to spit out some suspiciously red phlegm before shouting, "PUT YOUR CLOTHES ON!!!"

"But they ARE on!" Rangiku pouted. "They're just... rearranged, is all."

"THEN RE-REARRANGE THEM THIS INSTANT!!!"

"Aw, there goes my minute," Renji groaned sadly as Rangiku hid her girls away again.

"You'll just have to make sure we all survive, so that you get the rest of it," Rangiku said, reaching over to pat his cheek.

Hitsugaya frowned. "And exactly what wouldn't you survive, Matsumoto?"

Orihime and the lieutenants froze as they realized Rangiku's mistake.

"Well, um," Rangiku laughed uneasily. "How would do like to take a vacation with us to a rather dangerous beach?"

"A rather dangerous beach," Hitsugaya repeated dully.

"With lots of scenic atmosphere!" Orihime added quickly.

"And... uh..." Renji tried and failed to think of a description that might throw a more favorable light on their vacation plans.

"Hollows?" Hitsugaya asked mildly, turning away from them.

Orihime was near tears. "Please don't forbid us, Captain. Rukia... she's my best friend. I have to try!"

He shook his head slightly. "I want it known that I'm only allowing this because formidable ice type zanpakuto are in short supply around here, and that it would be a shame to lose one. Is that clear?"

"So you'll let us go?" Orihime asked eagerly.

"No. I'll go with you, and make sure that none of you dies, unless I'm the one that does the killing."

* * *

They'd stopped for the night (or what they thought of as night, according to Uryu's watch) when Yuzu approached Ichigo, who was sitting on the sand and staring off into the distance.

"Ichi-nii, can I tell you something?"

Ichigo couldn't help but stare at Yuzu as she fidgeted nervously in front of him. He would always love her, but ever since Uryu had shared that stupid theory with him, he'd been looking at her differently. What if she was different from he and Karin? It wouldn't change their feelings for her, of course, but it would complicate things.

"Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked again when he didn't say anything.

He blinked and rubbed the side of his face. "Sorry, Yuzu-chan. What is it?"

"You promise you won't think I'm crazy?"

Ichigo frowned at her. "You're not crazy. Now, what is it?"

Yuzu bit her lip. "When I was sleeping... I thought I saw him again."

"Who?"

"D-Daddy."

He sighed and reached for Yuzu's free hand (she was STILL holding Miss Clucky, he noticed with a scowl), gently pulling her into his lap. "What'd he say?"

Yuzu's face lit up. "You believe me?"

"You don't lie, Yuzu-chan. And even if you did, you wouldn't about this. What'd he say?"

"He said we should keep following Karin."

He didn't know what to make of that. They had been following Karin from the start, mainly because she was the only one that seemed to have a direction in mind. Ichigo had assumed that whenever they were ready to leave, Chad would just rip open a hole in the world wherever they were, so location didn't matter much. But Karin had been leading them, and she had been here more than anyone else.

"There was something strange about him, though," Yuzu murmured. "He was wearing the same clothes that the shinigami wore."

Ichigo almost told her it was just a stupid dream, but stopped himself in time. "And?" he finally said.

Yuzu stared at him uncertainly. "So does that mean we shouldn't be fighting them?"

"Whatever it means, if they try to take you or Karin, I'm stopping them." That was much safer ground, and he didn't feel like trying to figure this out right now.

"M-Maybe we could talk to them next time?" Yuzu suggested hesitantly.

He could see where this was going, and really didn't like it, but he couldn't deny Yuzu anything. "That Orihime wanted to talk. We could try her, if she shows up again."

"And maybe you could ask Chad to hold onto Karin?"

Ichigo knew he had to say it then. "Yuzu-chan, I know what you're thinking."

She flinched. "But, Ichi-nii!"

"It's not a bad idea. It's just a dangerous one." He reached up and place his large hand against her cheek. "Don't ask me to stand back and let them take you or hurt you. Karin would never forgive me, and I'd never forgive myself."

"I wouldn't do that," Yuzu insisted, leaning into his touch. "But... you can't just attack them again. If they were really Daddy's friends, like I think they were, then..."

"We'll try," Ichigo promised reluctantly. "But you remember what I said, Yuzu-chan."

"I will," she replied, smiling softly. "And I love you, too, Ichi-nii." She leaned forward and kissed him on the nose. And then, to his complete horror, she shoved Miss Clucky into his face expectantly.

It took a few seconds, but Ichigo finally swallowed enough of his manhood to kiss the chicken plushie. And yet, as he pulled away, he imagined that Miss Clucky wanted to wipe her mouth and spit just as much as he did.

* * *

"Uryu, I think we have a problem."

He was about to ask what Tatsuki meant when the air began to shimmer around him. It stopped quickly, but there was a very noticeable change now. "Ah. I agree."

Tatsuki was still there. So was Chad.

But Ichigo, Yuzu, Karin, and even Miss Clucky, were gone.

* * *

"Was it really a good idea to send Ririn with them?"

Urahara sighed and put down his teacup. "Yoruichi, would you rather I let them wander into Hueco Mundo without a way to keep track of them? I may be lazy and noncommittal, but Isshin would claw his way out of wherever he is and kill me if I did that to his kids."

The black cat shook its head. "I know. But what are they going to think when they find out that she's been manipulating them?"

"Well, she'll rat me out. Ichigo will be so mad that he'll come back here just to kill me. But that means he'll definitely come back."

"Kisuke, is it me, or do most of your plans end up with people wanting to kill you?"

"You know, I've noticed that, too. Can't figure out why, though..."

* * *

Ichigo was the first to notice that Uryu and the others were no longer with them. He figured it would do no good to mention it, though. Karin grew more determined the further they walked, and if she wasn't missing Chad yet, bringing it up would serve no purpose. He wasn't even sure that she fully understood human language anymore, anyway.

Yuzu had a firm grip on his hand, and he could tell that she was starting to worry.

There had been no Hollows for a long time now. Ichigo wasn't sure if he wanted to know what could scare so many of them off, but he knew they'd soon find out.

His mind kept wandering as they walked, back to the day he'd defeated Grand Fisher. He'd been convinced that he retained no memory of the battle, but he kept getting flashes of it now: a cry of agony and hatred ripping from his mouth as he unleashed his dark half for the first time, batting aside Grand Fisher's first and only attack with no effort, and then tearing the Hollow apart with his bare hands and a strength he'd never known before. But the more he watched it in his head, the more Grand Fisher's attack seemed odd to him. It had just been a simple obstacle, something stuck in the ground. Admittedly, it was a sharp something, and it had cut Ichigo's hand when he'd hit it, but rage was the only thing he'd felt then. Pain simply hadn't been a concern.

He watched the scene more and more, and details began to stand out. The obstacle had been a sword. And he'd assumed it was an attack, but he hadn't seen Grand Fisher throw it at all. It had just been there suddenly, almost as if it were waiting for something, or someone. But Ichigo had cast it aside: his dark half had wanted its hands stained with blood, and really, the sword hadn't been needed.

"Ichi-nii, look!" Yuzu cried abruptly.

The vision faded, and yet the sword did not. It was lodged in a strange, gray tree, and Karin had wound her body around the thin trunk several times, her tail beckoning them closer.

"Damn Uryu will never let me hear the end of this," he muttered.

"Take the sword, my boy," a distant voice that sounded suspiciously like his father said. "Take it and protect your sisters."

Ichigo frowned. "I already AM protecting them!"

"YOU FOOL!!!" Suddenly his father was there, right in front of him, flattening Ichigo with a kick to the head.

It hurt a lot worse than he'd expected, and he was dazed as Isshin stood over him.

"You have power, it's true, and you've done a fine job of keeping the girls safe, Ichigo. But it's your duty to get stronger as new threats arise. Even if you don't plan to use the sword, you should still take it and use its power to increase your own. To do any less would put your sisters in terrible danger. Their safety is more important than your pride, isn't it?"

Ichigo slowly shook away the stars before his eyes and scowled. "Why didn't you tell me you were one of them, old man?"

Isshin smiled at him. "Because it wouldn't have helped you then. You needed to find your own strength first. Now that you have, you can try and outdo your old man, like you always wanted."

"I would've taken the sword if I'd known!" Ichigo shouted at him. "I wouldn't have become a monster, if-"

Strong, heavy hands clapped onto his shoulders, and Isshin yanked him forward until they were staring into each other's eyes.

"Whatever you are," Isshin said softly, beaming with pride, "you're my boy, and nothing could ever change that. Your mother wouldn't have married me if anything could. Now take up the sword that was meant for you, and you'll be cooler than your old man ever was!"

"You were never cool," Ichigo snorted... but he reached past his father and grabbed the sword's hilt, anyway. It parted from the tree with almost no effort on his part, and the moment the blade was free, a bright pillar of light formed around the sword and rapidly began to spread.

Yuzu's eyes went wide as the light washed over her, and she hugged Miss Clucky so tightly that the plushie's eyes bulged out. Ichigo even imagined he could see the chicken struggling, but that was just crazy...

Karin actually recoiled, at first, unwinding from the tree in her hurry to get away. But something made her stop and turn back. Seeing that Ichigo was unharmed, and that Yuzu wasn't moving away, she ignored the voice screaming in her head and moved into the light. It was bright, so bright that it pained her eyes to stay open. Her instinct was to move away, but Ichigo had promised to stay with him, and she couldn't leave Yuzu. But the pain grew worse, and Karin only knew that she couldn't leave, so she finally reached up and tore off her mask in an effort to cover her eyes with her hands, but the moment she did so, the pain was gone, and her body began to change...

When the light finally faded, the shocks just wouldn't end for Ichigo.

The sword in his hand looked more like a giant meat cleaver, but weighed almost nothing to him. The blade was mostly white, but the edge was a black darker than night.

His clothes were changed as well. He now wore what looked like a white version of standard shinigami robes.

Then he looked at Yuzu. She actually was wearing black shinigami robes, but it didn't bother him like he thought it should. She had no sword, although there was what looked like a giant ladle strapped to her back.

Then he looked at Karin. Not Karin the Hollow, but KARIN.

Her robes were a curious shade of gray, and there was an oversized soccer ball strapped to her back, but that hardly mattered. She was human again, and the face that Ichigo had ached to see again was staring at him in shock.

"I-Ichigo?" she whispered, jumping at the sound of her own voice. "Yuzu?"

"KARIN!!!" Yuzu wailed, tackling her twin to the sand.

Karin just stared at the top of Yuzu's head, and then at Ichigo as he swept them both up from the sand and hugged them tightly. "Ichigo, what just...?"

"It doesn't matter, Karin," he whispered hoarsely, unable to stop the prickly sensation behind his eyes. "It just doesn't matter." He was more startled than anyone when Karin suddenly latched onto his neck and began bawling into his shoulder, but that was okay. By then, Yuzu had started crying, too, so Ichigo just buried his face in Karin's hair and joined them.

It would've been perfect... if not for the fact that Miss Clucky stood up from the sand where Yuzu had dropped her, brushed off her little blue cape, and started muttering, "This is no way to treat a mod soul!"

Everyone stared at her, and when she felt their gazes, she froze. Instantly, she was replaced by an image of their father. "Well done, Ichigo!" he laughed loudly.

But Ichigo knew then, and so did Karin. She snatched a stone from the ground and threw it, sending it flying through Isshin's left ankle.

The image faded, and Miss Clucky squawked as she dove to the sand with an angry cry of, "HEY, WATCH IT!!!"

Karin was on her in a second, shaking the plushie angrily. "How dare you! He was our father! You had no right!"

"So I guess you don't like having your face back?!" Miss Clucky managed to shout. "Who do you think got you this far?!"

"Then... that was you?" Yuzu asked. "I didn't really see Daddy? But why, Miss Clucky? I thought you were my friend..."

Miss Clucky finally managed to pry Karin's fingers off of her and flopped to the ground. "My name is Ririn!" she snapped. "And I had to do it! Or do you want the shinigami to take you away the next time?! The visions weren't real, but the facts in them were! They're coming, you need the sword's power, and your father meant for Ichigo to have it!"

"How do you know that?" Ichigo demanded.

"Because I was created by a friend of your father's, and he's been watching you for a long time."

Ichigo stared at her in surprise. "You mean Creepy Bucket Hat Guy?"

"His name is Urahara, and he's a genius!" Ririn shouted, flapping her arms wildly.

"So he's the one that put you up to this?" Ichigo muttered, his expression darkening.

Ririn faltered a bit. "Um, yes, but... I restored your sister's body!"

"Karin was leading us here, anyway."

"But I made sure you picked up the sword!"

"She has a point," Yuzu agreed hesitantly.

"You just want to keep her," Karin grunted.

"But she helped us! Even if she did it with lies. And we can't just leave her here to be eaten!"

Ichigo shook his head. "It's your call, Karin. Do we take her or leave her?"

Yuzu immediately latched onto her sister's arm. "Please, Karin. I promise I'll keep a closer eye on her from now on!"

Karin sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But if she changes into Dad one more time, she's gone, no questions asked!"

"Well, I'm glad you decided to keep me around," Ririn snapped, "since none of you knows exactly where we separated from your pals! You can hate my illusions all you want, but they work!"

"I think she's got us there," Ichigo said reluctantly. "Unless... Karin, can you still sense Chad?"

"It's harder to pinpoint him, now that I've changed," Karin admitted with a frown. "I guess we need Miss Clu-"

"RIRIN!!!" the furious plushie yelled.

"...HER, after all," Karin finished.

"You two shouldn't tease her," Yuzu pouted, bending down to pick up Ririn and carefully dust some sand from her little hood. "She's part of our family, now."

"But that means we SHOULD get to tease her," Ichigo argued.

"I don't really care what they call me, as long as you keep his lips away from me," Ririn grumbled.

No one but Ririn seemed to notice the small bundle in the cloth wound around Ichigo's sword.

* * *

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

Urahara winced as the black cat stalked around the room, occasionally taking an angry swipe at his furniture. "Yoruichi, that was my favorite couch..."

"You're telling me that you left the Hogyoku in Hueco Mundo, where ANY Hollow could just PICK IT UP?!"

"Of course not! I took precautions!"

"Oh, something tells me I'm just going to LOVE this," the cat snorted, lashing its tail irritably.

Urahara scratched his head nervously. "Well, Isshin had already come to me with the idea of designing a zanpakuto with a built-in DNA defense."

The cat stared at him. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Only a person related to him by blood could touch it, and in the case of Hollows, there's a built-in barrier to keep out the strongest ones, so only the puniest shrimps could get close, and it still wouldn't do them any good, since they wouldn't have the needed DNA."

The cat blinked. "Let me see if I have this right. The Hogyoku is now in the hands of a pissed-off, half-Hollow teenager."

Urahara grinned at her. "Genius, isn't it?"

"Let me clarify: a pissed-off, half-Hollow teenager who is related to Isshin, and who has every reason to want you dead."

Urahara's grin faded a bit. "Ah, shit..."

* * *

Tatsuki nearly had a heart attack when Ichigo suddenly appeared beside her, apparently having run across the desert, with Yuzu and Karin clinging to his arms, for what had to be several miles. And he didn't even have the decency to look tired.

Her first instinct was to punch him in the mouth, but she was so glad that he was back and safe that she was sorely tempted to kiss him instead. That, however, would only bring up several issues she didn't want to deal with, so she decided to kick sand at his feet until he moved away.

Then she noticed that Karin wasn't... all Hollow-y anymore. "K-Karin?!"

Before Karin could say anything, Chad picked her up, with no warning, and settled her on his shoulder. Karin was so startled that she nearly lost her balance, and had to cling to his head until she was steady. Then she realized what she was doing and quickly let go, her face burning red.

Chad didn't seem to notice. "Missed you," he stated plainly.

Karin blushed harder. "I-I missed you, too."

"So my theory was right-" Uryu began, staring at Yuzu's new clothes.

"Yeah, so what?" Ichigo grumbled. "We don't need another lecture on it."

"I'd say you could use a lecture on quite a lot of things," Ririn muttered from where she was clinging to Yuzu's shoulder, "including breath mints."

"Did that chicken just talk?" Tatsuki whispered to Uryu.

"Did that chicken just insult Ichigo's breath?" Uryu responded.

"I AM NOT A CHICKEN!!!" Ririn howled.

Everyone stared at her.

A large sweatdrop appeared on the back of her head. "Okay, I am NOW, but-"

"You're a mod soul, we get it," Uryu interrupted.

"H-How did you know?!"

"I make it my business to know everything about my enemies," Uryu said simply. "But if you don't like Ichigo's breath, either, you're fine with me."

Chad sighed and grabbed Ichigo before he could go for Uryu's throat.

**End of Part 3.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Dead or Alive: Desert Soccer!**

Karin challenges Tsubaki to a rematch. Because no one passes up a chance to see Orihime spill out of her top. Okay, not really, but the fight is still on.

Endnotes:

I know. You're going to tell me that Zangetsu shouldn't exist separate from Ichigo, that Isshin and Urahara didn't create it, and that a zanpakuto shouldn't have anything to do with DNA since it's tied to the soul. And I'm just going to remind you, again, that this is an AU story, so some things are different (and hopefully more fun).


	4. DOA: Desert Soccer!

Notes: Sorry for the wait, I was wrestling with this fight scene, and I'm still not happy with it. I need to stress two things: Tsubaki is fighting against Orihime's will to start with, which limits his powers, and Karin has never assumed Arrancar form before, so she's learning as she goes.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 4: Dead or Alive: Desert Soccer!**

* * *

Although he would never admit it, Captain Hitsugaya had a very simple reason for trying to save Rukia, and for taking command of Orihime's insane mission to Hueco Mundo.

He was fond of Rukia, in a way that he didn't fully understand. His first impression of her, when she'd first approached him for training years ago, was that she was a newly-rich, spoiled brat. And Rukia had certainly done nothing to change that impression, at first. She'd been stubborn, loud, and quick to anger. But as it turned out, that was only because she'd been intimidated by him and his apparent ease in handling his own ice-type zanpakuto. Once he'd made it clear to her that it was not a competition, and that they were only wasting time, since he was there to help her learn, she'd calmed down and thrown all her energy into mastering her sword.

It was Rukia who kept coming back to him, even after the training was done. At first it was just to ask for advice, and then suddenly she was coming around to prod Matsumoto awake (although sometimes she was far less troublesome when asleep), or to tidy up his office, since his own lieutenant almost never did. And one day he looked up to find that Rukia was visiting at least twice a week for no real reason at all, but he could not find a single thing wrong with that.

Rukia was his friend, although he suspected no one but Orihime would believe that.

Fortunately, Orihime was the kind of person that would die for a friend, and had no trouble inspiring others to do the same. They were a lot safer with a Captain, of course, but they were still venturing into known Hollow territory.

Renji was unusually quiet as they moved across the desert, and Hitsugaya could only assume he was worrying about Rukia, and unwilling to bring the others down by voicing his concerns. It was fairly obvious that Renji was in love with Rukia, but for whatever reason, neither of them had done anything about it.

Despite Hitsugaya being in charge, he hadn't really issued any orders. Orihime had mostly taken the lead, since Shun'o had the uncanny ability to track down anyone that had touched Orihime. Hitsugaya suspected this was because physical contact caused very brief interruptions in Orihime's spiritual pressure, and the Shun Shin Rikka were especially sensitive to any changes in it.

Matsumoto was being surprisingly professional, even limiting the number of jokes she told. If she was worried about their chances for success (or survival, for that matter), she was hiding it well. When they stopped to rest, she would slip a comforting arm around Orihime and talk to her quietly, while Shun'o napped on Orihime's head.

Things were more or less fine until Shun'o spotted the pillar of light rising into the sky. When she confirmed that Ichigo and his friends were probably the cause, all four of them started running as fast as they could, with Shun'o hanging onto a strand of Orihime's hair.

Hitsugaya arrived on the scene first, and was completely unprepared for what he found.

Ichigo, easily recognizable from the file photo, was calmly sitting on the ground, with his arms draped around two small, sleeping girls, one of whom appeared to be a shinigami. That part that perplexed him was their spiritual pressure, or rather, the combination of them. Each person seemed to have two distinct feels, but altogether, they meshed perfectly, as if they were meant to be together. This was especially confusing for a Hollow: their entire existence centered around filling that eternal emptiness, trying to quench the insatiable hunger that drove them to devour souls. But there was no trace of that here, merely a young man and two girls he obviously cared a great deal about.

He was so focused on that first image that he nearly missed the arrival of Ichigo's three companions, but Hitsugaya was a Captain of the Gotei 13, and even preoccupied as he was, it was a simple matter to move a safe distance away just as his own group finally caught up.

Before things could escalate in the wrong direction, Ichigo spoke up. "What's this about, Orihime?" There was confusion in his tone, but also undeniable power. If he didn't like the answer, they'd be in for a fight.

"We aren't here to cause trouble for you, Ichigo," Orihime said as she stepped forward. "It's just... my friend, Rukia. Her wounds are very serious, and she can't heal the normal way."

Hitsugaya noted that at no point did Orihime even imply that this might be Ichigo's fault. It was a sound strategy.

Ichigo was not impressed. "Why not?"

"Because she might turn into a Hollow," Renji snapped, obviously annoyed that Ichigo didn't appear all that concerned with what he'd done.

Ichigo blinked, glanced at his friends, and turned back to Renji. "So? Just bring her to us, and we'll make sure she doesn't go nuts when she starts to transform."

This was met with stunned silence.

"Ichigo, you don't understand," Orihime said at last. "We don't want Rukia to become a Hollow at all. Neither does she. We were kind of hoping that you might help with that."

"Oh." He said this as if that perspective had never occurred to him. "That's trickier, then. Uryu might be able to come up with something, but... this is all new to us. Most of us only found out about shinigami a few days ago. I can't promise that we can do anything to stop the transformation."

"Are you sure?" Orihime's gaze moved over to Karin, and Ichigo's followed hers.

"Oh, that. We're still not sure what caused this, but-"

"What Ichigo means to say," Uryu interrupted, "is that we are presently unable to repeat the circumstances that brought about the change in Karin. And even if we could, there's no way of knowing if the effect would be completely different on a shinigami."

"But you don't think it would be," Orihime said, staring intently at his face.

Uryu blinked. "No, I don't. I'm reasonably certain that the result would be exactly the same."

"And why is that?"

"Because one or both of Ichigo's parents were shinigami," Chad stated.

Orihime gaped at him. "That... can't be true. He shouldn't have Hollow powers if that were the case!"

"Yet he and Karin both did," Uryu reminded her, "and Karin completed her transformation, as you saw."

"Then this change... it restored Karin and awakened Yuzu's shinigami powers? Then that's all the proof that we need! This is the perfect way to save Rukia!"

"Not quite," Hitsugaya murmured. "There is a problem. Restored she may be, but Karin is not a shinigami. Her spiritual pressure still reminds me more of a Hollow than anything else, but it is different, somehow."

"We could always ask her," Ichigo said, and then he poked Karin's cheek repeatedly until she grunted and swatted his finger away.

"Nnh. What?" Karin grumbled, opening one eye. "Sleepy..."

"Sorry, I know. But can you remember anything that happened when that light hit us? It might be important."

Karin opened her mouth, but then she caught sight of the shinigami, and Orihime in particular. An instant later, her fingers were just brushing Orihime's throat as Ichigo dragged his sister away.

"Let... GO! She's mine!" Karin howled, still trying to strangle Orihime. "I'LL KILL HER!!!"

Orihime backed away in shock, more startled that she hadn't even been able to follow Karin's movement. Even the Shun Shun Rikka hadn't had time to react accordingly.

"Calm down, Karin," Ichigo said loudly. "Orihime isn't here to hurt you."

"I don't care! Her stupid bat fairy almost killed me!"

The sword at Orihime's side pulsed, and then Tsubaki was standing in front of her, staring down at Karin. "Let the brat go," he said simply. "Looks like we're both in the mood for a fight."

"Tsubaki, no!" Orihime pleaded, grabbing his arm. "She's a little girl!"

"She's strong," Tsubaki replied, his eyes never leaving Karin's, "and she wants to fight me. That's all that matters."

"This isn't why we came!" Renji shouted. "We're here for Rukia!"

Ichigo wasn't sure how he felt about Rukia, but he'd seen the look in Karin's eyes before. She wasn't going to let go of this anytime soon. "So let's make it interesting. If Karin loses, she'll tell you what she remembers. I doubt she'd do it any other way."

"And if Tsubaki loses?" Orihime asked, frowning.

"Then Karin doesn't tell you anything," Ichigo replied. "There are worse things than Rukia being a Hollow. And our offer to help her then still stands."

"I'm not going to bet on my best friend's life! I'm trying to save her from becoming-"

"Like us?" Ichigo guessed. "If there weren't people like us, there'd be no hope of Rukia remembering herself when the transformation starts."

"But we don't want it to start at all!" Orihime cried.

"Then all Tsubaki has to do is win," Ichigo answered.

Chad walked over as Ichigo released Karin. "You need to be very careful, Karin."

Karin scowled up at him, every bit her brother's sister. "I'll win!"

"I hope so," Chad replied calmly. "If he kills you, I'll kill them. All of them."

Karin stared at him, first in shock, and then with understanding and gratitude. "Right," she whispered.

"You don't have to win. Just don't die." Chad squeezed her shoulder gently before walking away.

"You know what you're doing, Karin?" Ichigo murmured. "I don't know how much control Orihime has over Tsubaki."

"It doesn't matter," Karin growled as she glared over at Tsubaki. "He's going to lose!"

* * *

"Please excuse the interruption, my Captain, but you have a visitor. He says it is a matter of great urgency."

Captain Kurotsuchi spared his lieutenant an annoyed glance before turning his attention back to the reports on his desk. "Nemu, you thoughtless girl, I told you that I was not to be disturbed! What part of that did you fail to understand?!"

Nemu hesitated in the doorway to his office. "But I thought that-"

Kurotsuchi's free arm became a blur, and then Nemu stumbled against the doorframe and fell to her knees, grabbing weakly at her throat as blood gushed between her fingers.

"And what have I told you about thinking?" Kurotsuchi growled. "You are to do exactly what I tell you! Your thoughts are of no importance to me or anyone else! Next time I'll remove your fool head from your body entirely!"

"That was a bit excessive, wasn't it, Captain?" asked a new voice as a steady hand gently closed around the back of Nemu's neck, almost instantly healing the near-fatal wound. "Your lieutenant was only acting at my request."

Kurotsuchi pushed the papers aside as Captain Aizen stepped into view, carefully helping Nemu stand.

"There you are, dear girl. No lasting harm done, I trust?" Aizen asked pleasantly, beaming as he steadied Nemu.

She stared at him in shocked confusion, and then at her hand, which had no trace of blood on it. Her gaze flicked over to her master, but she could draw no obvious reaction from his expression, save that he might be just as surprised as she was. "I... I thank you, Captain Aizen," Nemu said at last, bowing slightly.

"I wonder if you could see to it that we're not disturbed? This is a meeting of some importance."

Again, Kurotsuchi gave her no sign that he disagreed. "I understand, Captain Aizen." She bowed again before leaving the room, sealing the door behind her.

"Really, Mayuri," Aizen sighed, "I know you can repair the girl with ease, but you wouldn't have to do it so often if you kept your hands to yourself."

"Don't waste time talking about her. Why are you really here?" Kurotsuchi asked, his eyes gleaming with obvious eagerness. Aizen always presented him with something fascinating.

"Suppose," Aizen said, "that you could get your hands on two extremely rare specimen: a Hollow with shinigami powers, and a shinigami with Hollow powers."

"You think I haven't tried? Unohana and the old man have blocked me at every turn."

"There are other ways. I could provide certain distractions."

Kurotsuchi smirked. "Keep talking..."

* * *

Karin was in a rather odd situation. She felt like she'd just escaped from a nightmare, only to find herself trapped in yet another. In the first, she'd been nothing but a monster, held in check only by her bonds with Ichigo, Yuzu, and Chad. She had felt nothing for Uryu and Tatsuki, and that was dangerous, because the only other things that had existed in Karin's eyes then were food, and she was always hungry. And hunger was quite a different thing for a Hollow. Hunger ruled every Hollow to some extent, and it had gnawed at Karin's mind until she could no longer recognize herself. Even when Ichigo and Yuzu had spoken to her, she'd understood the intent more than the words, which were hazy at best.

Then Ichigo had touched the sword, and the healing light had returned Karin to her senses. That was when she'd first started hearing the voice (which, strangely, seemed to originate from her soccer ball) that she instantly recognized to be the monster she had been. Karin had not been afraid of it. She knew that Ichigo was more or less in the same situation, and he had come to rely on his inner Hollow. And once her Hollow got over the initial shock of being locked away (and stopped roaring its head off), Karin could actually feel its power, not as a separate entity, but as part of her own. It made her feel confident and at peace.

But then Orihime had returned, and Karin's Hollow had gone nuts at the sight of the shinigami who had nearly killed them. Ironically, even its rage had been dwarfed by Karin's own. Because of Orihime, she had almost died a second time. And as unpleasant as the first death and what had come after had been, Karin feared that the second would be infinitely worse. Even worse, Orihime hadn't even meant to kill Karin: the shinigami simply had little to no control over her own powers. Karin figured that killing Orihime would be doing the world a favor. Nobody with that much power and no idea how to handle it should've been walking around freely.

And maybe because Karin had always had a temper, she was able to recognize a fellow loose cannon like Tsubaki when she saw one. With his power, that only made him (and Orihime) more dangerous.

Luckily, Karin no longer felt any need to resist her Hollow: it wanted to hurt Tsubaki, too. So for now, at least, they wouldn't have any problems getting along.

"So you ready to throw down or what, brat?" Tsubaki asked, staring at her. He was standing by calmly, barely moving a muscle. Karin didn't like the way that his black cloak covered everything below his chin. She really had no idea what he could be hiding under it.

"Hope you don't mind losing to a girl," Karin sneered.

Tsubaki snorted loudly. "Whatever. Draw your sword and let's dance."

"Don't have one, don't need one." Karin merely reached behind her and freed her oversized soccer ball from its harness. She tossed it from hand to hand, testing its weight, and smiled darkly.

Tsubaki wasn't at all worried. "Just so you know, brat, shinigami typically use swords. That toy won't be much help to you."

Karin blinked, frowning thoughtfully. For some reason, she suddenly felt like Tsubaki was trying to teach her something with this fight. Not that it mattered much, but if he had no intention of killing her this time, maybe she could use that to her advantage. Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes. "I'll stick with what I know, thanks," Karin replied, dropping the ball.

Tsubaki was about to warn her one final time that it was pointless, but in the next instant, the soccer ball flew just over his shoulder, with enough speed to have nearly taken his head off, if it had hit. He grunted and shifted his weight, revealing that his black cloak was actually two enormous, sleek, bat like wings connected to his arms.

"Still think I don't know what I'm doing?" Karin asked, smirking as her ball appeared next to her foot as if she'd never launched it.

"What you don't know is what you're getting into, brat," Tsubaki corrected.

"Your wings won't save you!" Karin snapped, kicking her ball with more force this time.

Tsubaki chuckled, crossing his arms. "I reject. Shielding Thorns," he muttered, smirking as his wings lengthened and sharpened, forming a shadowy aura around his body that easily split Karin's ball in two. "Want to try that again?" He grunted as Karin's ball again reformed by her foot, completely undamaged. "Tricky, but not too effective."

"Don't you know a practice shot when you see one?" Karin asked. "Now that I know you aren't big on dodging, I can do this!" She kicked the ball again, only this time it took on a sickly, green glow as it soared towards Tsubaki.

Sensing something different about this kick, Tsubaki launched himself into the air, allowing the ball to pass underneath him. But a shift in the air behind him made him throw a cautious glance over his shoulder, only to find a capture net bearing down on him. He could tell at once that the net had been hidden inside the ball, as the ball's patches doubled as the weighted ends of the net. While he could easily dodge, Tsubaki was still curious about the girl's powers. He suspected that she could change the direction of both the ball and the net with her will, so she'd only make it chase him if he ran.

When the net first wrapped securely around him, Tsubaki felt nothing, and even had no trouble staying airborne. But then the net began to glow green, and Tsubaki winced as it gradually started to eat through his wings.

"Tsubaki!" he heard Orihime cry in alarm, but he ignored her. She could obviously sense he was in pain, and even felt it herself, to a lesser extent. But he wasn't in a position where he needed to draw on her power yet.

"You'll have to do better than this, brat!" Tsubaki shouted. With a growl of fury, he fully extended his wings and ripped the net apart. "Where's the power I've been sensing from you all this time, huh? Don't play games with me!"

Karin scowled, picking up her ball once it reformed by her foot. She was about to try a different tactic when the ball pulsed in her hands.

"Summon me, child," her Hollow demanded inside her head. "I am the power he seeks. Summon me, and I will teach him respect."

"No," Karin said firmly. "If we're doing this, we're doing it together. No more keeping me in the dark. I won't go back there."

There was a slight pause. "As you wish, child. But I cannot access my full power in this form." The ball turned over in her hands, revealing the face of her Hollow. "Summon me by my name!"

Karin frowned. "I don't know your name."

"But you do," it hissed, grinning at her. "Every time you struck down prey, you knew my name. Every time you let rage and greed consume you, you knew my name. Every time you howled to be free of the prison that was my body, you cursed my name. Say it now, and I will grant you my power!"

"Torment and encircle, Acidwire!" Karin shouted, digging her fingers into the ball and smashing it into her face.

Tsubaki was tempted to laugh, but that notion faded when he saw that the soccer ball seemed to be devouring the girl's face, rapidly melting over her skin like a spotted, liquid exo-skeleton. He could hardly believe it when the first waves of Karin's rapidly increasing spiritual pressure rolled over him. "No way the kid should be that strong," he muttered. "I might actually have to take her seriously from now on."

* * *

The last thing Rukia could recall was dozing off while Captain Unohana carefully inspected her bandages.

Naturally, this in no way explained why she woke up in a dimly lit room, strapped to an operating table.

"I suggest you limit your movement, Lieutenant Kuchiki," said a familiar voice near her head. "The restraints are designed to become quite uncomfortable otherwise."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Nemu? What is all this? Let me go right now!"

"I cannot do that. My orders are to keep you here."

"I don't care what your father said, I am not-!" Rukia snarled, but she was shocked into silence by what she saw next.

Nemu finally walked into view, and hanging limply over her shoulder, wearing the exact same hospital gown that Rukia was currently wearing, was a perfect clone of Rukia.

Rukia no longer had any need to ask what was going to happen to her. She only knew two things for certain: that no one would realize she was missing for some time, and by then it would probably be far too late to save her.

* * *

Renji had seen a lot of things that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around, and how a little girl became the serpentine monster called Acidwire was one of them.

He hadn't known what to expect when Karin's soccer ball practically melted all over her, creating the thick, white and black spotted scales that made up the creature's new body. From there, Karin's body had lengthened impossibly, so that even when coiled somewhat, Acidwire never stood at anything less than twelve feet tall. But what Renji found most disturbing was the monster's face. It would've been best described as a goalie mask, it they were typically made out of the skulls of animals with ridiculously large heads. Acidwire's right eye was a dull red, peering out of the inky darkness of the mask's eyehole. But the left eye was clearly human, and moved independent of the other one. Karin was clearly in there, somewhere, but to what extent was unknown.

Even against such an imposing creature, Tsubaki hadn't been intimidated one bit.

Tsubaki was not just Orihime's zanpakuto, he was her entire will to fight. When she was truly, righteously angry, his power knew no bounds. But any other time, he had to rely exclusively on his own power. He would defend Orihime and the other Shun Shun Rikka with his dying breath, and yet he didn't fully trust her to make the best decisions. In that sense, Orihime was not so much the wielder of Tsubaki as she was a girl who just happened to own his sheath. He was loyal, but only to a point. According to Tsubaki, Orihime had never really grasped what it meant to fight.

That was why she couldn't command him, and why she would never be able to make Tsubaki submit to her. She had only ever summoned his shikai form once, and that was on the night she'd destroyed what remained of Sora and Kaien. And really, that had just woken Tsubaki up, more than anything else. From then on, he had always emerged by his own power, sometimes responding to Orihime's will simply because it increased his power, and often just because he felt like it. He had to, as Orihime was sometimes too hesitant to even defend herself properly. And though Tsubaki had struck her in anger, it was never more than a sharp rap on the head, and he'd kill anyone who genuinely wanted to her hurt her.

And they had always disagreed on what role killing played in a fight, but that was a whole other can of worms.

What mattered was that Tsubaki was essentially his own sword, and while Orihime could dull his sharpness, and even limit his power, the dullest sword could kill when used correctly, and Tsubaki knew how to handle himself.

* * *

As Acidwire took form before him, Tsubaki flew a little higher, wondering just how far the kid was willing to take this fight. He was still holding back himself, but the girl was definitely going all out.

In the blink of an eye, Acidwire swept its claws through the air, firing multiple glowing, green nets from its hand.

Tsubaki knew they would hone in on him and was ready.

"Spiraling Thorns!" Tsubaki roared, extending his wings as the nets closed in. Two rows of thorns emerged from his waist, looking much like a belt until they began to spin in opposite directions, growing longer as they moved. The nets were shredded the moment they touched the thorns, falling to the ground below in pieces. "That all you got, kid?! I've had tougher fights in my sleep! You're wasting-"

Acidwire ignored Tsubaki's taunts and opened its clawed right hand. In the blink of an eye, a length of black wire shot from the palm, wrapping around Tsubaki's throat several times and dragging him out of sky, slamming him roughly to the ground. A sinister chuckle floated from Acidwire's mask as the familiar green glow began to race up the wire.

"Scattering Thorns!" Tsubaki choked out, grinning as thorns sprayed from his chest. The thorns ripped through the wire around his neck and then changed direction, heading straight for Acidwire, who merely blinked slowly.

"Karin, look out!" Tatsuki shouted, but Acidwire remained still as Tsubaki's thorns slammed into its chest. Only then did Acidwire look down, and even then, it just grunted as the thorns were absorbed into its pale chest.

Tsubaki cursed under his breath. "Should've known it wouldn't do any real damage. Can't poison my thorns unless Orihime is willing. Stupid girl." He glared over his shoulder at her. "Hey! You better be watching, Orihime! I'll show you how your attack was meant to be used!"

Orihime didn't say anything, but she nodded slowly and clasped her hands together, as if praying for his safety.

Without warning, Tsubaki felt his power increase, and heard Orihime's voice in his mind. "Please win, Tsubaki. If you don't, Rukia will..."

"Don't insult me, stupid! I'll win, and we'll get what we need to save the Snow Beast."

Aloud, Tsubaki shouted, "I reject this form! Multiplying Thorns!" He let out a bloodcurdling shriek of pain as his body exploded into smaller copies of itself, buzzing just above the ground for a moment before the group soared into the air, circling above Acidwire as it watched them impassively.

Orihime closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Karin, Yuzu, Ichigo... but I can't fail Rukia now," she whispered. With a heavy but determined heart, she released her mental seal over Tsubaki's power.

The tiny Tsubaki clones grinned devilishly as long, dark stingers grew from their rears. "Hornet Storm!" they screamed as one, plummeting towards the disinterested Acidwire.

* * *

Although Ichigo was watching the fight between Acidwire and Tsubaki closely, his mind was somewhat occupied.

His dark half had appeared fairly frequently throughout his life, usually in reflective surfaces, but rarely had there been a need for him to summon Ichigo within their mind. Ichigo wasn't terribly fond of the landscape: standing on top of a skyscraper peppered with broken and boarded-up windows always made him feel sick. He was forever convinced that it would collapse with him on top of it, but each time he voiced that concerned, his dark half just laughed at him.

This time, his dark half was sitting on what looked like a white coffin, and sure enough, when Ichigo got closer, he could see someone inside of it. He didn't recognize the man, although his first impression was that it was what his father might've looked like, if he'd ever really been cool (and lost some weight).

"Zangetsu," the dark half said, answering his unasked question. "He's sleeping."

"It's the spirit of the zanpakuto," Ichigo said, and not without some reluctance.

"They have their uses," the dark half added, grinning a little. "Unless you're chicken."

Ichigo scowled at him. "I said I'd carry the sword. Never said we'd use it."

"Like it or not, the sword saved Karin and Yuzu."

That made Ichigo pause. "Why do you care about them?"

"What are you, stupid? I care for the same reason that you do."

Ichigo continued to stare at him.

The dark half rolled his eyes and punched him in the chest. "They're my bratty sisters, too, dummy."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he stumbled back a few steps, because he'd never thought it would be that simple. "Oh."

"You should hang onto the sword. For one thing, this change might not be permanent. What if Karin starts to revert to what she was? You need to learn how to use it. And lucky for you, I've already got an idea how..."

* * *

The Hornet Storm was closing in on Acidwire when Ichigo appeared between them, pointing his sword at the approaching swarm. "Zangetsu Cero," he said calmly.

Everyone watched in shock as a swirling ball of crimson energy formed at the sword's tip, its bright orange core trembling violently before the whole thing exploded in an expanding wave, slamming into the swarm and tossing them in all directions.

Ichigo blinked and fell from the air, landing neatly on Acidwire's shoulder. Their eyes met, and then he reached up and placed a hand on the mask. "That's enough, Karin. Come back now."

Acidwire continued to stare at him for a long moment, but the Hollow's red eye finally faded into the darkness of the mask's eyehole, and the entire body began to shrink. The patchy skin drew away from Karin, reforming into the soccer ball, which rested in Karin's hands. The mask was the last thing to go, although a small shard of it remained in Karin's hair, like a pale barrette.

Karin blinked a few times before looking up at Ichigo, who was watching her closely. "I lost?" she asked softly.

"It was your first time," Ichigo replied, reaching down to ruffle her hair gently. "You'll get the hang of it, once you and your Hollow learn to cooperate better."

She frowned and kicked at the sand. "That jerk. He wouldn't listen to me at all!"

"Don't worry about it." In a rare, public act of affection, he picked Karin up and kissed her on the nose.

Karin turned bright red and kicked at him, struggling to get down. "Quit it, Ichigo!"

He laughed and put her down, but kept one arm around her shoulders, much to her annoyance. "Yuzu will do worse once she-"

"Yuzu?" Karin asked in surprise. She was sure her sister would be freaked out, or at least worried, but...

...Yuzu had slept through the entire fight, and was still snoring softly, snuggled against Uryu's side. He looked so uncomfortable that it was painfully obvious Chad and Tatsuki had made him do it, so they'd be free in case Karin needed help. Ririn was sitting on Yuzu's shoulder, poking her cheek insistently with a wing, but it did no good.

"Has she been like that the whole time?" Karin asked in disbelief. "I thought I was the heavy sleeper, not her."

Meanwhile, the four shinigami exchanged startled looks, none of them saying anything for a while.

Finally, Renji broke the silence. "Did he just...?"

"Channeled Cero through a zanpakuto," Rangiku confirmed.

"But he was...?"

"In human form."

"And isn't that...?"

"Impossible."

Renji blinked a few times. "Somebody pinch me, I think I'm having a nightmare."

Sighing, Rangiku grabbed the back of his head and shoved his face into her cleavage.

"What are you doing?!" Hitsugaya demanded, yanking Renji away and doing his best to ignore the giddy smile plastered across the redhead's face.

Rangiku shrugged. "I figured he'd like that better than a pinch."

"True, but I don't think it did anything to convince him that this isn't all a dream."

"Well, at least it's a very good dream now." She turned to Orihime, who hadn't moved or said a word. "What's wrong, Hime?"

"It's just... nothing," Orihime sighed softly. Immediately afterwards, Tsubaki reappeared at her side, a frustrated look on his face. He froze as Orihime suddenly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Tsubaki," she murmured into his shoulder, tears rolling down her face. "Thank you for not getting injured, and for saving Rukia."

Tsubaki frowned and awkwardly patted her on the head. "Whatever," he grumbled. His face turned bright red as Orihime kissed him loudly on the cheek, though it was hard to tell whether this was from fury or embarrassment. Either way, he vanished shortly, returning to the sheath on her hip in sword form. And even then, Orihime gave the hilt a few tender strokes before it seemed to lean away from her hand. When she was done, she looked up to find Ichigo standing in front of her. Karin was still at his side, looking a little reluctant, but Ichigo prodded her firmly with a finger, and she sighed.

"I don't remember a lot about what happened to me, or at least I don't know why. All I know is that when Ichigo touched the sword, this light appeared. My Hollow told me to get away from it, but I didn't want to."

"Why not?" Hitsugaya asked.

"I didn't want to leave Yuzu and Ichigo," Karin muttered, looking away.

Renji and Hitsugaya exchanged odd looks, but neither one said anything.

Orihime bowed her head. "I'm so sorry about before, Karin. Tsubaki can be... very protective of Rukia. We both care about her a great deal. Can you ever forgive us?"

Karin didn't say anything until Ichigo prodded her again. "No one's to blame. We didn't even try to understand each other, so we were bound to end up fighting. There's nothing to forgive." She hesitated, then added, "I didn't really want to hurt your friend. But she hurt Ichigo first, so... I felt like I had to. It made more sense when my Hollow explained it to me..."

Orihime's eyes widened. "You can... talk to it?"

Karin shrugged. "Ichigo can talk to his, too. Yuzu and the others don't seem to have them, though."

"I always figured it was a family thing, and that Yuzu would get hers in time," Ichigo admitted. "Now, I'm not so sure."

"Ichigo, will you please come back to Soul Society with us?" Orihime pleaded. "I understand that you've grown accustomed to your Hollows, but Rukia isn't like you. Being a shinigami is her entire life. If she... changes, losing her position will be the least of her problems. She could even be executed if things get too bad."

"That sounds like even more reason to get her out of there and bring her to us," Ichigo pointed out.

"I give you my word that no harm will come to you while-"

"Orihime," Hitsugaya interrupted. "I understand your intentions, but you should not promise him that. It is beyond your power, and even mine, to speak for all of the Gotei 13. Some may want Ichigo dead simply because he exists."

"Even if he couldn't save Rukia, I wouldn't let that happen!" Orihime stated, narrowing her eyes. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"Except nearly killing Rukia," Renji added, ignoring the look Orihime shot him.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "That was self-defense."

"In what sense?!"

"In the sense that when myself is attacked, my Hollow handles the defense. It's not my fault his defense usually consists entirely of brutally efficient offense. And Orihime did tell Rukia not to attack me. But don't worry, I'll still try to save her."

"So you'll come?" Orihime asked eagerly.

Ichigo frowned at her. "Yeah, fine. But let's get one thing straight. I don't much care if anyone attacks me. That, I could get over, and I rather enjoy it when the mood is right. My friends probably feel the same way. But if anyone tries to hurt Yuzu or Karin, they're dead. And that goes for anyone who tries to stop us. That's my only rule."

"I would never try to stop anyone from defending something as precious as a bond between a brother and sister," Orihime said solemnly.

Ichigo knew at that moment that she'd lost her own brother, but thought it better not to ask. "Hey, Chicken Little!" he shouted at Ririn, who whirled around angrily. "Last chance to go back to your boss."

"I'm staying with Yuzu," Ririn declared. "If you think I'm going to entrust my owner's safety to a brute like you, you're crazy!"

Ichigo smiled a little at that, and imagined he saw Ririn do the same, for an instant. "Alright, then. Chad, do your thing."

"What is he AAAAAAHHH!!!" Renji shrieked as Chad, with no visible effort, ripped open a gaping tear in mid-air, exposing a dark, swirling tunnel.

"You're sure that goes to Soul Society?" Hitsugaya asked skeptically.

"I have been there before," Chad pointed out. "You could take your way, if you want. But this should drop us just outside of Jidanbo's gate."

* * *

"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki," Captain Unohana greeted as Byakuya walked into her office. "What can I do for you?"

"You can tell me," Byakuya said with noticeable irritation, "how long you intend to go on treating that imposter as if she was my sister."

Unohana smiled slightly. "So you noticed, too? I shouldn't be surprised."

"Are you the one responsible, then?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. What reason would I have to replace Rukia? I'm just as concerned for her health as you are."

"Then why have you not notified anyone about this?"

"Because that could also notify the one responsible that we are aware of his replacement," Unohana replied. "And based on the many imperfections I have found in Rukia's replacement, I am positive that the true Rukia is both still alive, and somewhere near by. The one responsible must have known that someone would discover this plot fairly quickly. Otherwise, they would have gone to greater lengths to convince us of the fake's authenticity. Besides, continued examinations of the false Rukia have provided me with a great deal of insight as to who may have abducted Rukia."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed. "You know who has her?"

"No. I only know who was most likely responsible for creating this replacement. I believe that the false Rukia was created through the same methods that produced Lieutenant Kurotsuchi. I have not had many chances to examine her in the past, but from what I can recall, the content of their skin is very similar, and they both exhibit the same odd behavior. Neither one appears startled upon waking up in an unfamiliar place, both are largely unconcerned with what happens to them, and both display an almost instinctive fear of earning Captain Kurotsuchi's displeasure."

Byakuya only nodded. Rukia was certainly not a fan of the 12th Division Captain (and few were, for that matter), and while he might have scared her on some level, she hated him more than she feared him.

"In any case, there is nothing we can do now. Even with this much evidence, it only proves that Captain Kurotsuchi most likely has Rukia. And even if he does, he may be able to prove that it was necessary. In her current state, Rukia may become a threat to the Seireitei. If that is the case, then he is one of the Captains best suited to restrain and study her. But that is not the real reason I am withholding this information."

"You mean there's more?" Byakuya asked.

"Unfortunately," Unohana replied. "I believe there is a conspiracy growing in the Seireitei, and that Captain Kurotsuchi is one of the key players. I must ask you to keep this to yourself, as we have no way of knowing who else is involved. I am even starting to suspect that Rukia was sent on this latest mission because of the strong likelihood that she might end up in this state. And if that were true, then we may already be too late to prevent the worst from happening."

* * *

"Your report on this matter has been very informative, as usual, Captain Aizen. Excellent work."

Aizen smiled and bowed his head politely. "You are too kind, Yamamoto-sama. There is however, one last thing that I failed to include in my report. I thought it would be best to tell you this in person. You see, I need you to die now, old man."

Yamamoto blinked, his expression darkening. "You dare to challenge me, boy? I will admit that of all my Captains, you are by far the most talented, but do not think, even for a second, that you are a match for me."

"Of course I'm not," Aizen responded calmly, pretending to study the interior of the old man's office. "No Captain is. Sheer strength is no match for your experience. But that will not change the outcome of this encounter."

"I warn you one last time. If I have to draw my sword, you will die."

Aizen turned and beamed at him. "Then you had better do so, I suppose."

Yamamoto did not care for the way that Aizen was looking at him. Nor was he particularly comfortable with the way his hand drew his zanpakuto, more or less without his permission. And he certainly was not fond of the way that his hand turned the flaming sword and plunged it deep into his own chest. Yamamoto only knew intense pain for an instant. Then he heard Aizen's voice commanding him to sleep, and so he did.

"Rest now, old man," Aizen murmured, carefully pulling the sword out of Yamamoto's chest. He drew a hand over Yamamoto's face, closing the older man's eyes with reverence. "You aren't actually dead, but you and everyone else will think you are. That is all that truly matters now. That, and that the Seireitei belongs to me."

**End of Part 4.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Heir Apparent**

Aizen's the boss now, and surprise surprise, no one has a problem with it! In fact, Zaraki and Yachiru are thrilled with their latest assignment: to capture both Ichigo and the Hogyoku, all for glorious CANDY! But with Yamamoto MIA, that leaves a Captain's spot open, and you'll never guess who Aizen plans to offer it to!

Endnotes:

I tend to see the Hollow mask, at least with humans and shinigami, as a sign of resisting the full transformation into a Hollow. Arrancar take it to the other extreme by embracing the Hollow and going even beyond that (which I assume enables them to remove the mask, since they aren't resisting). But in this case, Ichigo isn't actively resisting his Hollow: he has grown up thinking that this is his own unique power, and he relies on it in nearly exactly the same way that Canon!Ichigo relies on shinigami powers. And as there is no resistance, there is no mask: the Hollow just comes out when Ichigo gets hurt or very angry. But this also means there isn't really a halfway, lizardy state: it's either Ichigo, or the Hollow. Ichigo would have to have been a shinigami for both the mask and the lizard to be possible, and now that he's accepted the Hollow as his main source of power, it's a little late. Anyway, even if Ichigo DID have a mask, in order to become an Arrancar, he'd not only have to remove it, but seal away Zangetsu, which he has never really had a talent for that I know of.

As Tsubaki is named after a flower, all his attacks involve "thorns" that extend from various parts of his body. When fighting with Orihime's support, the thorns are replaced by poisonous stingers.

Getting a lot of questions about what exactly Ichigo and his sisters are now, so I'll break it down here. To be clear, Arrancar are Hollows that remove their masks, gain shinigami powers, and carry zanpakuto of some sort. Recall, however, that Ichigo never had a mask to remove...

**Tsubaki**

Race: Zanpakuto Avatar

Partner: Orihime, Shun Shun Rikka

Shikai Command: "Reject, Tsubaki!" or "I reject!"

Shielding Thorns: Sharpens and lengthens Tsubaki's wings, while summoning a dark aura for extra protection (basically the same as Koten Zanshun, just standing still)

Spiraling Thorns: Two rows of thorns emerge from Tsubaki's waist and rotate in opposite directions at high speed, shredding anything they touch

Scattering Thorns: Tsubaki fires thorns at a target and can adjust their flight remotely

Rain of Thorns, Hornet Storm: Tsubaki splits into smaller copies of himself, each one armed with his Koten Zanshun

**Acidwire**

Race: Human - Hollow - Arrancar

Host: Karin

Release command: "Torment and encircle, Acidwire!"

Hunter's Hand: Fires acid nets from hands

Hunter's Snare: Launches a single acid wire at high speed

Shifting Skin: Quickly repairs damage from most physical attacks

**Ichigo**

Race: Human - Hollow

Partner: "Dark Half"

Zangetsu Cero: Channels Hollow energy through Zangetsu around an explosive core

**Yuzu**

Race: Human - Half-Hollow - Shinigami


	5. Heir Apparent

Notes: Hollow Ichigo makes a speech (the king and the horse stuff) about how the avatar in Ichigo's mind changes to represent who has the most power at any given moment. It's actually a very good description of how Ichigo's powers work in canon: he starts off with Zangetsu's "limitless" strength as his trump card, then upgrades to Bankai (at which point Zangetsu appears less or not at all), and then the Hollow mask (where we only hear from the Hollow). Same principles apply here, for the most part.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 5: Heir Apparent**

* * *

Less than three hours after Yamamoto was found dead, Captain Aizen was formally acknowledged as his successor. No one was at all surprised by this: Yamamoto was OLD, even by their standards, and Aizen was easily one of the best combinations of intelligence and power that the Seireitei had to offer. Of course, there was some grumbling that he had been picked over others, but there was no denying the appointment. Instructions on what to do in the event of Yamamoto's death had been in place for a long time, and they were followed to the letter, including the required meeting of the Gotei 13 Captains under their new leader. However, there were only twelve of them now (and only eleven present, with one other oddly missing), something Aizen would have to address quickly to maintain order.

And if there was one thing that everyone knew about Aizen, it was that he always had a plan.

"We have suffered a great loss today," Aizen began as he looked to each of the assembled Captains, "but I am sure that we all agree that now is not the time for the Gotei 13 to be caught unprepared. As such, I believe we should install a new Captain as quickly as possible. The candidate I have in mind, however, is not presently affiliated with us."

"You plan to bring in an untested Captain?" Ukitake asked in shock.

Aizen smiled at him. "I specifically recall using the term 'presently,' my friend."

"So it's a traitor you intend to pardon, is it?" Kurotsuchi muttered with obvious distaste.

"What we need right now is someone whose skills are not in question." He turned to Soifon, who was watching him with growing unease. "I wonder if you would be so kind as to retrieve her? And feel free to test her, in case she's gotten rusty."

Soifon's eyes widened for a moment, but with a clipped nod, she strode from the room in a hurry.

It was clear from the looks on everyone's faces that Soifon's reaction had been all too telling, but Aizen had already moved on.

"I believe the next issue that demands our attention is the Hollows of Karakura Town. Captain Hitsugaya is currently observing them, but further action must be taken. One of our lieutenants is still in recovery from the wounds she received in her battle with them. I think it would be best to deal with these Hollows before they become even more powerful. At the same time, I suspect there is much we can learn from studying them. I have asked Captain Kurotsuchi to develop new technology that will help us capture and restrain the Hollows."

"You're kidding, right?" Zaraki demanded. "Don't insult me! Just because I'm not in the habit of taking Hollows alive doesn't mean I don't have the ability. Keep your stupid gadgets! I'll catch these Hollows in no time at all!"

Aizen smiled in a way that seemed infinitely patient. "I will hold you to that claim, but I would prefer that you limit your focus to Kurosaki Ichigo. If the reports so far are true, he is the one most likely to hold your interest, Zaraki. But please keep in mind: we need him alive, preferably in one piece."

"Sure, take all the fun out of it," Zaraki grumbled, turning to leave.

"Just one more thing, Zaraki," Aizen said, spotting a flash of pink near the big man's sleeve. "If you don't mind, I have a gift for your lieutenant."

"Presents?!" Yachiru shouted, poking her head out of Zaraki's enormous sleeve. "Presents for me?! WHERE?!"

Kurotsuchi scowled. "I was under the impression that this was a Captains' meeting? Are you relaxing the rules around here now, Aizen?"

"I can overlook Lieutenant Kusajishi's eagerness to serve this one time," Aizen replied, drawing a green lollipop the size of a basketball from his pocket.

Yachiru's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Lollyyyyyy..." she cooed, hopping out of Zaraki's sleeve and walking drunkenly towards Aizen. "Greeeeeen lollyyyyy..." She ripped off the wrapping and opened her mouth impossibly wide, shoving the entire lollipop inside.

Aizen squatted so that he was somewhat near Yachiru's eye level. "I wonder if you could do something for me, Lieutenant. Kurosaki should be carrying a jewel somewhere on his person. If you can bring it to me, I believe there could even be a red lollipop in it for you."

Yachiru gasped, crunched loudly on the green lollipop, and drew it out of her mouth to reveal an entire third of it was gone. "You have RED lollies?!" she cried, hearts dancing in her eyes.

Aizen just smiled at her. "Can you do this for me? It would be a great service to the Seireitei, and you would have the chance to join your Captain in battle for once."

The thought of free, giant candy, and the chance to join Zaraki in battle momentarily overwhelmed Yachiru, and without thinking, she glomped onto Aizen's neck and gave him a loud, sugary kiss on the chin. In the next moment, her senses returned, and she quickly stepped back and lowered her head, about to apologize.

But then Aizen's hand came down on her head and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I think that could very well deserve an extra red lollipop on your return," he said kindly.

Yachiru was sorely tempted to blow him a kiss, but thought better of it and quickly hopped onto Zaraki's shoulder as he headed for the door. "Are you in a good mood now, Ken-chan?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

A sadistic grin spread across Zaraki's face. "Never been better."

They hadn't gotten far when Komamura caught up with them. After a questioning look from Yachiru, he explained, "Aizen-sama thinks that I am best suited to deal with the Hollow that can assume Menos form. He is likely to interfere in your fight with Kurosaki."

Zaraki grunted. "So long as you understand I'll cut down anything in my way, there won't be any problems."

"Agreed," Komamura answered stiffly, knowing it was pointless to argue with Zaraki unless he felt like settling the matter with a fight to the death.

* * *

Rukia had known pain before. All shinigami got hurt from time to time, even the Captains. But all the pain she'd experienced before had ended, eventually.

Yet somehow she knew that an end to pain now, as a research subject for Captain Kurotsuchi, would mean that she was dead. And so despite the agony that tormented her every second, she was grateful for it. It meant she was still alive. Unfortunately, it also meant she would hold the demented scientist's full attention for a great deal longer.

And that was not a fate that she would wish on her worst enemy.

The only real comfort, if it could truly be called that, was the continued presence of Nemu. For the most part, Nemu only followed orders while her father was present. But once he was gone, her main duties were to tidy his workspace and guard Rukia. Nemu often came across as being just as unfeeling as her father, but Rukia had never believed that (if only because no one, in her mind, could possibly be more cruel than him). So it had not been much of a shock for Rukia to constantly regain consciousness and find Nemu carefully wiping blood from her body, or gently applying antiseptic to her wounds. It was so obvious that she wanted to spare Rukia from further pain, and yet she ignored all of Rukia's pleas to be released.

"Why, Nemu?" Rukia finally asked. "What did I ever do to you? What did I ever do to deserve this torture?"

"You surprise me, Kuchiki-san," Nemu replied. "What makes you think that any of my father's experiments deserved their fates? I do not know what he is planning, but I can assure you, the fact that you are here directly implies that you are undeserving of such treatment."

"Then why? Why not let me go? Please... it hurts so much..."

After a brief pause, Nemu gently brushed Rukia's cheek with her knuckles. "And I'm afraid it will only hurt more before he is done. But until then, I cannot release you. I do not expect forgiveness or understanding from you. You may even try to kill me, if you ever escape. You will do what you must, as I will do what I must."

* * *

Ever since waking up from her rather long nap, Yuzu had been unusually quiet and nervous. It was odd enough that she wasn't smiling at all, or at least in a good mood. Ichigo and his friends hadn't noticed, as they were all too wary about entering Soul Society. The shinigami were too busy keeping an eye on the rest of them as they approach Jidanbo's gate, so even if they had noticed, there was no real incentive to do anything about it. But Karin had only recently returned to a state where she could do anything to ensure her sister's happiness, and it would be a long time before she took such a thing for granted again.

The only good thing about any of this was that Ririn, who Karin was gradually starting to accept, was trying her best to cheer Yuzu up by telling jokes and making funny faces at her. Those tactics had always worked when their father had used them, but Karin knew that was more because he'd been their father, rather than him actually being funny. But Ririn was helped along by the fact that her plushie body was easy to stretch and bend into odd poses, even if they did make her a little uncomfortable. Karin decided to intervene before Ririn popped a stitch and gave Yuzu something else to worry about.

"What's bothering you?" Karin asked, nudging Yuzu with her elbow.

"I-It's nothing, Karin," Yuzu said far too quickly.

Karin just stared at her. "You couldn't even fool Ichigo with that line. Do you really think it'd work on me? I'm your sister, Yuzu. More than that, we're twins. I'd know you were lying even if I wasn't paying close attention. I'm sure you think you have a good reason, but all you're doing is making me worry about you. And you know it won't be long before Chad notices that I'm worried, and he won't hesitate to tell Ichigo. So just save yourself the trouble and tell me. Whatever it is, I'll help you. You should know that by now."

Yuzu bit her lip and nodded slowly. "I think I know the reason I slept so long. I dreamed that I was talking to Dad again. And I know it wasn't Ririn this time, because he told me something that nobody outside the family would know."

"Like what?"

"Um, about my birthmark," Yuzu murmured, blushing.

Yuzu didn't have a birthmark. What she did have was a tiny, brownish circle on her hip from Ichigo's first attempt at cooking. The only causality in the resulting grease fire had been their mother's favorite curtains, which had distracted Yuzu to the point that she didn't notice her own burn until several minutes afterward, when it began to itch. Then, she positively howled, until Ichigo snuck her a spoonful of ice cream. Their parents had been predictably upset that Yuzu's dinner was ruined, but were far more outraged when Yuzu began to associate burning things on the stove with being rewarded with ice cream. They lost a book and three sets of footy pajamas the next day, and Ichigo was sentenced to go without desert for a whole week for his part in the incident. Afterwards, he made sure that Yuzu stayed away from the stove, by telling her that a dragon lived inside, and that it could smell people who had been burned before.

"So what did he tell you this time?" Karin asked after a moment.

"The same thing he always told me, mostly: eat my veggies, don't stay up too late, be a good girl."

"But that isn't the part that bothers you."

"He... he said there's nothing wrong with me being a shinigami."

Karin didn't say anything, but it was a little difficult to keep her expression neutral. "Okay. And?"

Yuzu hesitated before continuing. "I just keep thinking, if shinigami are supposed to stop Hollows from hurting people, then maybe if one of us had been a shinigami, Mom and Dad might-" She stopped talking when Karin reached up to gently cup her cheek.

"You can't think that way, Yuzu. We were just kids. Even if we'd had power, we wouldn't have known how to use it well enough to save anyone."

"So... you don't want me to be a shinigami?"

"I don't know. I guess they're not all bad," Karin sighed. "But neither are all Hollows," she was quick to add.

Yuzu frowned at her. "I know nii-chan has saved us when we were in trouble, but yours, Karin... I feel like it took you away from us. I don't like it. I don't want you to go away again."

"I don't want to go away, either," Karin assured her, hugging Yuzu tightly.

"Promise me you won't ever leave us again?" Yuzu murmured into her shoulder.

"I can't do that, Yuzu. I want to, but I can't. I don't want to lie to you. I can promise that if I get lost, I'll always try to find you and Ichigo first thing. But that's about it."

"Okay," Yuzu whispered, still looking a little down, but she didn't resist when Karin took her hand and tugged her along so they wouldn't get too far behind the group.

* * *

Orihime had never seen anyone other than Jidanbo standing before his gate in all her time as a shinigami. Despite the fact that she spent far more time within the Seireitei than outside of it, she had always assumed that this was due to Jidanbo being a very effective and dedicated guard.

But Jidanbo was nowhere in sight as her group neared the gate, and it was safe to assume that if Jidanbo was not visible, he was also nowhere near his gate. The reason for this, at least, was very clear. At Jidanbo's post stood two equally imposing people, Captains Zaraki and Komamura. As always, Lieutenant Kusajishi was perched on Zaraki's shoulder, but Orihime had never managed to find her anything other than adorable and occasionally mischievous. But even Yachiru's presence did nothing to quiet the unease that rose in her heart. These were two of the most battle-hardened Captains that the Gotei 13 had to offer, and they were never asked to greet welcome visitors.

Suddenly, Orihime realized that Ichigo had wanted to avoid Soul Society not because he didn't like shinigami, but because shinigami didn't like him. But it was too late to run: Zaraki could easily chase them down if he thought it would lead to a promising fight, and Komamura could probably flatten them all just by drawing his sword. There was no escape. And perhaps that had been the Gotei 13's intent all along.

"By order of Aizen-sama, Kurosaki Ichigo and his companions are to be apprehended for questioning," Komamura announced in his booming voice. "Captain Hitsugaya, it would be wise for you to stand aside."

Hitsugaya frowned at him. "Since when do you take orders from Aizen?"

"The old man croaked while you were gone," Zaraki said, ignoring the look that Komamura shot him. "Aizen's the boss now."

Renji, Orihime, and Rangiku traded shocked glances, but Hitsugaya just blinked a few times. "I see," he replied, turning slowly to Ichigo. "It would be best if we all cooperate for now, Kurosaki."

"Screw that," Ichigo answered calmly.

Hitsugaya stared at him with disgust. "You cannot be that idiotic. Any of the Captains could crush you."

"Just because I haven't kicked your ass yet doesn't mean I can't," Ichigo snorted. "I'm here strictly as a favor to Orihime. So unless these goons are here to take me to Rukia, they can just sit and spin for all I care."

Zaraki blinked slowly, a clear sign that he'd never heard that phrase before. "Just so we're clear, you're refusing to come quietly?"

"You got it, big man."

A sinister smile bloomed on Zaraki's face. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that." His hand shot towards Ichigo's throat with frightening speed, only to be intercepted by the black edge Zangetu's blade.

It didn't cut him in the least.

Ichigo frowned. "That can't be good," he muttered, just before Zaraki pushed the sword aside and drove his free hand into Ichigo's face hard enough to send him rocketing backwards into the Rukongai, where he crashed through several flimsy houses and, if the smoke trail was any indication, kept going.

"Oh," Yachiru moaned in disappointment, pouting cutely. "If he's that weak, you'll never have any fun with him, Ken-chan."

"Maybe, maybe not. With any luck, he won't be dead when I find him." He threw a glance over his shoulder at Komamura. "Can you handle things here until I get back?"

"I don't foresee any problems," Komamura replied, watching with interest as Ichigo's group reacted to the slight application of his spiritual pressure. Most had fallen to their knees, and the smaller girls were flat against the ground. But his target was still standing, although just barely. "Feel free to take your time, Zaraki."

"Good luck, Koma-Koma!" Yachiru shouted, waving from Zaraki's shoulder as he started after Ichigo.

* * *

"Entry 634725483. Subject is responding well to periodic bombardment of Hollow particles. Will now begin residual impact testing. Subject will be exposed only to the presence of living Hollows." Captain Kurotsuchi put down his mini-recorder as Nemu wheeled a large, covered cage into the chamber. "It's about time! You made sure to only gather the specimens retrieved from Hueco Mundo?"

"Yes, sir," Nemu responded at once, bowing her head.

Kurotsuchi frowned suspiciously and pulled the sheet from the cage, unveiling what at first seemed to be nothing but several hundred lizards crawling all over each other. But a closer look revealed that each lizard's face was covered by a small Hollow mask. "I suppose you can follow my instructions every so often. Put them over beside the subject, and then you may ask one question."

Nemu quickly did as she was told, less because she was ordered to, and more because she was eager to ask today's question. Despite popular belief, her father detested ignorance in her, and made sure that she at least learned one new thing every single day. Few subjects were off limits, although by now, Nemu had learned what should be avoided, if she didn't want to spend the rest of the day trying to keep her organs inside of her body.

"What is your question?" Kurotsuchi asked once Nemu turned to face him.

Nemu's gaze strayed to Rukia, who twitched slightly as she finally noticed the lizards, but could do little more than turn her eyes away. "If she fully transforms, what will you do with her, sir?"

"I haven't decided yet," Kurotsuchi admitted. "Perhaps I'll keep her around as an extra guard. Or maybe I'll have her kill off the experiments I'm done with. Or I may just kill her myself, once I have enough data." He paused and glanced at Nemu, deciding he was in a good enough mood. "You have another question?"

"What happens to shinigami who openly display Hollow powers?"

"Traditionally, they are executed, although there have been some escapes in the past..."

* * *

Urahara was yet again enjoying some tea when there was a polite knock at his door. "Ururu, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times, you live here, and there's no need to knock if you want something."

"Such a familiar relationship you must have with my precious Ururu-chan, Kisuke," said the seemingly young man that stepped into Urahara's office.

If Urahara was startled, he hid it well behind a slow blink. "Ah, Shinji-san. It's been a while since you last visited. I don't suppose you heard about our latest sale?"

"No, nothing like that. I'm here to find out why Ichigo went to Hueco Mundo."

"Really? I would've thought you and your group were keeping tabs on him?"

Shinji shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "We were, at first, just to make sure I hadn't made a mistake in showing him the basics. But seeing him with his sisters convinced us that he wasn't a threat to anyone that didn't wish to harm them. So we haven't been checking up on him as much lately. We figured you would know something, if not everything, about his recent movements."

"Eh heh heh... you make me sound like some sort of crazy stalker!" Urahara chuckled.

Shinji stared at him blankly.

"Um, anyway, Ichigo went out of concern for his sisters. He thought the environment would make them stronger. Not sure when they'll be back, but they should be fine. Unless you want to go check on them yourself?"

"No. We gave Ichigo a way to contact us. If he needs our help, he'll let us know. I gave him my word that the only other way we'd interfere was if his Hollow took over his body completely."

"Well, it's a nice idea in theory," Urahara said slowly, "but Ichigo doesn't seem like the type to admit he needs help. Has he ever asked you before?"

"Only once, and that was when we offered. But I think you're wrong about one thing. Ichigo would put his pride aside and do anything to protect those girls. Reminds me of myself a little, actually."

In that moment, the door slowly slid open, and Ururu poked her head in. "Oh, it's you, Shinji-san. I thought we had a visitor."

Shinji immediately turned around and grasped her hands in his. "My darling Ururu-chan, so lovely to see you again!"

"I'll thank you not to harass my workers," Urahara said loudly, although he was grinning.

Ururu blinked slowly. "Um, Shinji-san, it's nice to see you, but I need my hands back, and shouldn't you be looking for girls your own age?"

"But why would I do that?" Shinji's expression turned flat and serious. "After all, you are my first love," he whispered coldly.

Ururu could think of no way to reply to that, and was saved the trouble by the timely entrance of her co-worker.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF URURU, YOU PERVERT!!!" Jinta shouted as he ran into the room.

Shinji easily dodged the punch Jinta aimed at him and grabbed the back of the boy's shirt, holding him up for inspection as if he were a rather curious bug. "This one's always been a little loud for my tastes, but I like his spirt. Reminds me of Hiyori, really."

For seemingly no reason, Urahara ducked as a sandal suddenly crashed through the window over his head and smacked Shinji in the face with enough force to send him flying through the wall behind him. Unfortunately, he was still holding Jinta, who screamed obscenities as he was dragged along for the ride.

Sighing, Urahara turned pleading eyes to Ururu, who nodded and went to fetch a broom. "I always lose a wall or two when Shinji-san comes to talk," he groaned.

* * *

"You idiot. You didn't really think you could beat him without me, did you?"

Ichigo winced and looked up to see his dark half glaring down at him. "I wanted to see how far I got."

"Well, I can't think of too many enemies that'll be beaten by the sight of you lying in a pile of junk. What even made you think this would be a good idea?"

"It worked on Tsubaki!" Ichigo protested, only to have a fist come down hard on his head.

"I refuse to accept that you're that dumb!" the dark half growled. "You could only use Cero then because you had Zangetsu as a focus. Obviously, you've forgotten what happened the first time you tried to use it."

The world around them suddenly vanished into darkness, and then Ichigo could see someone walking away from him. While he couldn't see the face of the young man, he quickly recognized the lazy walk, the classic clothing, and especially the short-cut blond hair.

"There's no point in showing you Cero again, Ichigo," the man said. "Just because you weren't able to learn it, doesn't mean your Hollow didn't. When you really need to use it, you'll be able to. And even if you do manage it in your current form, it will always be stronger when your Hollow uses it. Cero is their power. Remember that."

"Do you get it now?" the dark half asked as the darkness began to lift. "As it is, you can't use Cero without Zangetsu. And you haven't had the sword long enough to know how to use it properly. So the best thing you can do is sit back and pay attention. Any other time, I might let you try your luck against this guy. But Chad won't last long against the other one, and where will that leave the girls? We need to get this done quick."

"Fine," Ichigo agreed. "But don't kill him unless you have to."

The dark half snorted and rubbed his jaw as he took control of their body. "Judging by that first hit, I don't think that's going to be an issue." He noticed Zangetsu lying at his side, and after a moment's hesitation, picked up the sword.

"So you are planning to put up a fight," Zaraki said as he came around the corner, grinning. Yachiru was still perched on his shoulder, looking a little surprised that Ichigo was still conscious (or perhaps alive, it was hard to be certain). "But what's with the new skin and hair? That happen when you get hurt?"

"No. Just when I'm seriously pissed," the Hollow answered as he stood up. "Drop the kid unless you want her to get hurt."

Yachiru gazed into his eyes for a long moment, not even noticing when Zaraki turned his head slightly.

"Better hop off for now, Yachiru."

"No."

Both males were shocked by the answer.

Zaraki narrowed his eyes. "Yachiru, this is no time for joking."

"But I'm not joking, Ken-chan. I want to see him fight! Plus I have a job to do, remember?"

"You can do that later."

"I know," Yachiru agreed, "but it'll be easier and more interesting this way. Besides, he won't hit me."

"How do you know that?" Zaraki demanded.

"Because I can tell a lot just by looking at him. He's not the kind of person that could hit someone like me." She giggled when the Hollow winced. "See? He'll only aim for you. And it's not like I can't dodge if I need to."

"Alright," Zaraki grunted, turning back to the Hollow. "My orders are to bring you in alive. But if you hit her, I'll kill you."

"So drop her already!" the Hollow growled, looking decidedly nervous.

The big man chuckled. "Nah. That'd just make it easier on you. And I want this to last a while."

"Go get him, Ken-chan!" Yachiru cheered, giving him a peck on the cheek.

The Hollow took a step back as Zaraki approached him, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "I'm warning you! Last chance to drop her!"

Zaraki shook his head. "Not happening, kid. Make your move."

The Hollow took another step back, scowled, and dropped his sword.

Disappointment flickered across Zaraki's face, until he noticed that the end of the black, winding cloth wrapped around the sword was still in the Hollow's hand. There was almost no time to dodge as the Hollow yanked up on the cloth hard, so that the sword changed direction in the middle of the drop and went straight for Zaraki's chest. And even though there was time to move, Zaraki didn't.

The sword struck his throat, bounced off harmlessly, and clattered to the ground.

"Pathetic," Zaraki declared. "It you have no desire to harm me, you might as well drop the sword, kid. You're just wasting my time like this."

"You're right," the Hollow sighed, releasing the cloth and holding out his hands, palms facing down. "I give up."

"But that's boring!" Yachiru cried. "You're going to make Ken-chan really mad!"

"Oh, really?" the Hollow asked. "Well, we wouldn't want that." He raised his palms, revealing the rapidly growing ball of red-tinted energy he'd been charging.

Yachiru gasped and ducked behind Zaraki's shoulder.

Zaraki only grinned and licked his lips as the alley was bathed in crimson light.

* * *

Chad did not have an inner Hollow.

That is to say, he didn't have one.

What he did have was a multitude of different voices in his head at random moments, and they ranged from slightly annoying to utterly terrifying. Most often they told him to attack things with all of his might, but in most cases they were easily ignored. But there were other times when Chad's power, as well as the Hollows he'd absorbed it from, called out to him in a way that was impossible not to hear.

And the voices had only been louder since Hueco Mundo.

Chad had always thought that having so many voices in his head would never be to his benefit. They could never agree with one another, or Chad himself, so they had never served any useful purpose, other than making him fear his own power (which Uryu was claimed was a good thing).

But as Chad's body strained under the enormous weight of Captain Komamura's spiritual pressure, something completely unexpected happened.

Every single voice decided that they did NOT like being shown up by a shinigami, especially not one that was obviously a fan of the huge power game as they were. For the first time that Chad could recall, all of the voices were in agreement.

The resulting power rush was unlike anything Chad had ever felt before, and the reason for this was clear. He had always resisted his powers on some level, but this was the very first time when he hadn't held back at all.

It was difficult to discern what went through Komamura's mind when Chad straightened up, pushing the Captain's spiritual pressure back with his own and taking the weight off of his companions. "Everyone okay?" he asked.

"I am beginning to regret our decision to come here," Uryu sighed, helping Tatsuki up before turning to assist Yuzu and Karin, who had gotten the worst of it and were moving very slowly.

Karin scowled. "I'm way past that. Why didn't Orihime stop them?!"

Uryu glanced over his shoulder, not surprised to see that Orihime and the other shinigami had moved a good distance away. "Don't blame them, Karin. They cannot contradict orders. That is just one of the disadvantages to belonging to the Gotei 13. Besides, they did warn Ichigo."

"They don't have any reason to arrest us!" Karin snapped.

"Actually, we're lucky that's all they've tried to do so far. I'm quite certain that in the past, we would've been executed on sight."

"That is true," Komamura admitted. "However, Aizen-sama only wishes to talk to you at this point. We were told that you most likely would not come quietly."

"Ichigo is impulsive, but we came here with good intentions," Chad explained. "As he said, we are here to ensure that Rukia recovers."

"My comrade is similarly inclined to provoke violence. I believe I can convince Aizen-sama that this was simply a misunderstanding, provided that both parties survive the encounter. Would you be willing to assist me in stopping them?"

"Only if you promise that my friends won't be harmed."

Komamura nodded and turned to the gate. "Tetsuzaemon! Continue watching the gate in my absence, and have someone tell Jidanbo to return to his post immediately."

"Consider it done, Captain!" a loud voice on the other side of the gate shouted.

Komamura turned to Chad. "Your friends should stay here. My men will see to it that they are unharmed."

"No way!" Karin shouted. "I want to make sure Ichigo's okay!"

Chad shook his head. "No, Karin. It's safer for you here. Uryu and Tatsuki will protect you if anything happens."

"And what if another one like him comes?!" Karin demanded, pointing at Komamura. "They wouldn't be able to do anything! You and Ichigo are the only ones that can stand up to them! Send Uryu with the big guy, and you stay here with us!"

"No, I'll go instead," Tatsuki decided. "Chad, you and Uryu can protect the girls better than I can. I'll get Ichigo."

Chad stared at her for a long moment before nodding. "Fine. You should be able to calm Ichigo down just by talking to him. But whatever you do, don't hit him. It'll just make him laugh."

Tatsuki scowled at him.

"No, I'm serious. And even if you managed to hurt him, he'd just laugh louder and hit you back twice as hard."

* * *

The Hollow panted as he lowered his hands, a sick grin spreading across his face. The alley was little more than a smoking trail of carved-out ground now. There was no sign of Zaraki or Yachiru.

At least, not until Yachiru popped up on his shoulder and said, "Wow! That was really neat, Ichi! You're pretty strong after all! Ken-chan will be so happy!"

"Who ARE you?" the Hollow demanded, glaring at her.

Yachiru beamed at him. "I'm the 11th Division Lieutenant!"

He gaped at her. "You mean you're supposed to be as strong as Rukia? You're joking, right?"

She pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "I am too strong! Stop teasing me, or I'll have Ken-chan beat you up!"

"Yes, because having someone else fight for you proves how tough you are. How could I forget that?"

Yachiru hesitated, trying to decide if he was still insulting her. "Anyway, you better not get too cocky! Ken-chan will really wanna fight you once he gets back!"

The Hollow said nothing, because he knew she was right. The Cero had definitely connected, and that was the only reason that Zaraki hadn't reappeared yet. But he wasn't so foolish as to think he'd killed a Captain of the Gotei 13 with one shot. Zaraki wouldn't have taken the hit if it could've killed him, at least, the Hollow didn't think so. The man seemed to enjoy fighting far too much to die that easily.

And sure enough, in the next moment, Zaraki stepped into view. Most of his haori had been burned away, and his left shoulder was drenched in blood, but he was still smiling. "I think I'm starting to like you, kid."

Growling under his breath, the Hollow yanked Yachiru off of his shoulder and put her firmly on the ground. "Stay out of the way this time."

Yachiru blinked and smiled. "You must be a really good big brother, Ichi."

"No. I only wish I was." The Hollow turned away, only to pause as Yachiru suddenly reached out and tore something loose from Zangetsu's black bindings. "What are you-?"

"Got your shiny-shiny!" Yachiru giggled, and before the Hollow could ask what she meant, there was a blur of pink, and then she was gone.

"You won't catch her," Zaraki said, sounding proud. "She's the fastest Lieutenant even without Shunpo, and right now she's hopped up on candy. You'd have an easier time trying to kill me. Which is to say that killing me would be slightly less impossible for you. But you're still welcome to try. I'm curious to see how close you can get."

"You're about to wish the kid was still here," the Hollow laughed, raising his right hand and charging up another crimson orb.

"That again?" Zaraki asked, shaking his head. "You better add some more kick to that if you expect it to off me. You didn't even blow my arm off with the last one."

"Tell me something. Did they tell you what's so special about us new Hollows?"

"Just that you're stronger and more dangerous. But everyone else they said that about ended up half-dead at my feet, so you can understand why I'm not impressed yet."

"It's because we're still human," the Hollow whispered. "See, Ichigo had power long before I came around. And if his family hadn't been killed, he'd have a lot more of it to work with. But with the way things turned out, my power overshadowed his own, and he still hasn't reached his own potential. The thing is, his power and mine don't mix so well. They tend to explode when they're used together. Cero wasn't meant for human hands, and Ichigo's power is like acid to me. Now, I could use it, anyway, and lose a hand in the process, just because I'm so bad-ass, but lucky for me, Ichigo wants to take you out just as much as I do. So he doesn't have a problem lending a hand!"

Zaraki froze as the Hollow's spiritual pressure began to change. An insane giggle flew from the Hollow's lips as he threw back his head, the Cero charging in his right hand all the while. And the next time he looked at Zaraki, his left eye was no longer the yellow in a sea of black that had been there before. Now it was Ichigo's eye staring back at him, and the left arm had regained its normal color as well. In fact, the entire left side of the body was now obviously Ichigo again, including the quivering orb of orange energy in the left hand. Zaraki's eyes narrowed as he stared at the orange orb. In all his years of fighting, he had never come across anything quite like it. Logically, it was a product of Ichigo's human side, but it certainly didn't have a human feel to it. If Zaraki had to guess, he would've said it was more like that of a shinigami, although not quite as practiced and refined, and more instinctive than anything else. Just the sort of thing one might expect from a kid with Hollow powers.

What Zaraki didn't expect was for the Hollow and Ichigo to slam their respective orbs together. The Cero absorbed the orange energy almost instantly, but it continued to shudder uncontrollably, and the now obviously unstable construct began to gradually force Ichigo and the Hollow's hands apart as it grew larger.

"Kurosaki Cero!" the Hollow and Ichigo howled, their voices overlapping in a sinister echo. A layer of the orb seemed to peel off in a wave of incredible force, ripping and spiraling through the air until it slammed into Zaraki.

Death was no stranger to Zaraki. He'd been on its doorstep many times, and actually enjoyed the sensation. But it had always been a gradual, timely process. Zaraki had only ever gotten there over a series of attacks and several long minutes, at the very least. But Kurosaki Ichigo and his Hollow marched Zaraki to the threshold, planted him there, and very nearly booted him through it.

The first wave almost tore Zaraki in half, and left a huge, diagonal burn from his right eye to his left knee. But as luck would have it, the wave hit his eye patch first, and that was the only factor that spared Zaraki's life. His full spiritual pressure was released an instant before his body could be ripped in two, and Zaraki knew it.

Then the second wave crashed into him, and though Zaraki was far better braced for it, it still sent him tumbling backwards.

And then, as if the orb of destruction had made up its mind to be done with all of this, it tore free from Ichigo's hands and exploded into a final wave, one that actually hit Ichigo first and threw him twenty feet into the air. Zaraki was already down by then, so the wave passed over him harmlessly, although he would later discover that his bells had all but fused with his hair, and it would take nearly a day to remove them.

Komamura and Tatsuki would later find both combatants out cold among the wreckage. And while Komamura knew very little about the ways of humans, he would admit to being puzzled further when Tatsuki, instead of helping Ichigo up, took the chance to kick him a few times and mutter curses under her breath. And then, she would only drag him by the collar through the dirt. Komamura thought about offering to assist her, since he had an arm free, but something told him it would serve no purpose.

* * *

"You've moved up in the world, Aizen. If memory serves, the last time we spoke, you were still Shinji's Lieutenant."

"That was a long time ago," Aizen commented as he turned to face the woman standing in his office. "I take it your being here means you're curious about my offer?"

"I'll admit I was shocked at first. But once Soifon explained what happened to Yamamoto, it made more sense."

"The stability of the Seireitei is at stake now. I had always intended to pardon you, and I think there would be far fewer objections if you agreed to come back to us in this capacity. Of course, you would not hold the power you once did, but-"

"I have one condition."

Aizen smiled. "I'm listening."

"I want the 5th Division's focus changed. I'll be the one that shapes Soul Society's policy on the human world from now on."

"Consider it done. However, you'll need to name a new lieutenant. Hinamori has nothing against you, but apparently I've made quite the impression on her. She'll be joining me in the 1st Division."

"Perfectly understandable. So we have a deal?"

"We certainly do," Aizen agreed. "Welcome back, Captain Shihouin."

"Yoruichi will be just fine, thanks," she corrected with a smirk. "I'll let you know if my new office is too small."

Once she was gone, Aizen brushed his hand against the underside of the desk. A hidden compartment popped open, bathing his face in eerie light as he stared at the jewel within. "It won't be long now, my dear children," Aizen murmured, gently caressing the Hogyoku. "No, not long at all..."

* * *

When Ichigo finally woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar bed, within an equally unfamiliar room, surrounded by familiar faces. Having grown up in a clinic, it only took him a moment to realize that it was some sort of hospital room. For some reason, though, Orihime was the only shinigami present (he still stubbornly refused to consider Yuzu one without further confirmation).

"Are you okay, Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked, grabbing his hand anxiously. "We were so worried when you wouldn't wake up!"

"I'm okay," Ichigo replied, patting her head gently. "I was just tired. That Zaraki guy was tough."

"He is one of the strongest, most aggressive Captains," Orihime explained. "You really shouldn't have tried to fight him on your own, Ichigo. You probably just made him want to fight you even more the next time you see each other."

"Then it's good to know I can beat him. Now where are they keeping Rukia? I'd rather get this over with right now, before any other shinigami decides to give me a twisted version of a greeting."

Orihime's face fell, and she lowered her head. "Unfortunately, you can't see Rukia right now. Well, none of us can. Captain Unohana said she has some alternate solutions she'd like to try out first. And right now Rukia is stable, so..."

Ichigo stared at her intently, frowning. "And you trust this Unohana?"

"Oh, yes!" Orihime replied at once, her face lighting up. "Captain Unohana was the one who helped me finally realize Tsubaki's true potential. She's also very fond of Rukia, so I don't think there's any reason to worry."

"But you are worried," Karin pointed out. "You haven't even been to see Rukia since we got here."

"That's because she can't," Uryu replied from the corner of the room, where he was carefully examining what looked like a neon blue pencil.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"I was watching when Captain Unohana came in. Although she did not say as much, her tone implied that everyone in this room, and possibly everyone without the needed clearance, are forbidden to see Rukia. Beyond that, there is now a protective barrier around this room. We are effectively prisoners."

"That's not true!" Orihime cried.

"Which part?" Ichigo asked mildly.

"There is a barrier, but not for the reason you think! Captain Unohana isn't trying to contain you, she's trying to protect you!"

"Really. What do you think, Uryu?"

Uryu sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I am inclined to agree with Orihime. The barrier is designed more to keep others out. If we all focused our power, we could most likely break through. But the fact that this type of barrier was erected at all leads me to think that would be a very bad idea. I have no doubt that many shinigami wouldn't mind if we met with some unfortunate accidents while in their care. At any rate, Orihime is here as well, so anything that happened to us might very well happen to her. Perhaps that will discourage any attacks... although that doesn't really reassure me. What is the loss of one shinigami compared to the deaths of a handful of powerful Hollows?"

"Y-You're not serious, right?" Orihime asked nervously. "Shinigami aren't allowed to kill each other except in extreme cases! And even then, they'd probably be imprisoned or worse!"

"You didn't know that this Aizen fellow was in charge. How do you know he hasn't changed the laws while you were with us?"

"I don't think he would. The way Momo-chan talks about him, he's practically a saint."

"Then you don't know him personally?" Uryu asked, sounding suspicious.

"Well, no. Why?"

"Hmm. Like minded people usually associate with each other. So I find it highly unlikely that a supposed saint would not be on friendly terms with Orihime." Uryu shook his head. "The more I find out about this place, the less I like it."

**End of Chapter 5.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Tear Out Your Heart**

Karin is captured by the 12th Division, Rukia gets acquainted with her new power, two Vizards return to Soul Society, and Aizen introduces his kids.

* * *

Endnotes:

Ichigo doesn't have a Hollow mask here. The reason for this is tricky: Ichigo has accepted his dark half as his primary source of power. All characters (that I know of) that wear Hollow masks are either accepted as evil (Hollow and Arrancar), actively resisting their Hollow, or have suppressed their Hollow to the point where they can summon it at will (Vizard). (You could make a case for Nel, but she was the 3rd Espada, so she's formerly evil, even though she was practically a pacifist) Ichigo doesn't fit into any of those categories right now, although he would if he'd been a shinigami first, or if he'd actually gained shinigami powers instead of just a zanpakuto. At present, Ichigo has only ever been a human that gained Hollow powers and a zanpakuto. Note that having a zanpakuto doesn't make one a shinigami, any more than having a Hollow mask makes them a Hollow. It only means the potential is there. For example, Arrancar have shinigami powers, but you would never refer to them as shinigami. In the same way, Vizards have Hollow powers, which they can control because they were once (and technically still are, although not recognized as or affiliated with) shinigami.

Just to clarify, the orange energy that Ichigo uses here is the same stuff he used to break Rukia's binding spell in the first episode. I like to think of it as a mixture of shinigami blood and human potential. But it's important to note that Ichigo had that power BEFORE he became a shinigami.


	6. Tear Your Heart Out

Notes: Recent developments in the manga caused some delay with this chapter. But I think I've got my plot straight now. I think.

Warning: Some people die. Some in messy ways, others not, but some are well-liked characters, so brace yourself.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 6: Tear Out Your Heart**

* * *

Akio had been the 5th Seat of the 12th Division for nearly as long as Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been its Captain. Maintaining that spot for so long was actually quite difficult: Akio had been forced to cut down many competitors over the years. But that was the great thing about his Division: neither the Captain nor the Lieutenant ever questioned or reported it when dead bodies turned up. Captain Kurotsuchi always had room for one in his lab, it seemed, and didn't really care how he got them. Consequently, there was a rather high turnover rate, which was greatly helped along by the fact that many 12th Division members preferred research to battle, and were largely vulnerable to any sort of attack.

Everyone knew that promotions stopped at the 3rd Seat, though. Few people had ever openly challenged Nemu, and the ones that did always vanished without a trace. It didn't really matter what she did to them, because anyone foolish enough to publicly question a seated officer's right to lead deserved whatever they got in return. Akio had personally seen some competitors drop dead mere seconds after touching Nemu, which he attributed to some fast-acting poison either in her skin or in her sweat.

Akio had learned how to get ahead, or at least he knew how not to end up on his Captain's operating table. He completed any and all tasks assigned to him as efficiently as was possible, was respectful towards Nemu without seeming flirtatious, and never questioned any order from Captain Kurotsuchi, no matter how immoral it was.

Of course, a great deal of Akio's usefulness had to do with his zanpakuto, which, to date, had never been defeated. But given the nature of the sword, that was to be expected. Akio was generally chosen for missions that involved ambushing elusive enemies. But sometimes, he was chosen just because it was nearly impossible to connect him to the scenes of his crimes (although when he carried them out under orders, he didn't consider them illegal).

While Akio didn't understand why Captain Kurotsuchi wanted Kurosaki Karin (and really, he thought it best NOT to think about it for too long), it wasn't going to stop him from doing the job. He wouldn't sleep well that night, but at least he'd live to see morning.

Karin was right where Kurotsuchi had said she'd be: in a locked room within the 4th Division, along with the rest of her group. As it was the middle of the night, they were all asleep, no doubt helped along by Unohana's barrier. Akio wasn't sure how it put her patients in a more restful state, only that it would help in what he needed to do.

Not one of the room's occupants stirred as Akio melted silently out of the shadows. The barrier would've been a problem during the day, but darkness was Akio's element, and the shadows were his friend.

Karin was sleeping on the floor, curled up next to, if the reports were true, the human form of the Menos that had invaded the Seireitei not too long ago. With that recognition, Akio decided against getting any closer than he already was.

"Surround, Ouja no Kage," Akio whispered, brushing his fingertips over the hilt of his sword. The shadows rose up at his command, forming a large hand and wrapping around Karin with infinite care, slowly lifting her from the floor and carrying her towards him. After another touch of his sword, Akio and Karin sank through the floor without a sound, still encased in darkness.

"It's nothing personal, kid," Akio found himself saying as he stared into Karin's sleeping face. "But if you're lucky, whatever my Captain does to you first will kill you."

* * *

"How is your breakfast? Is everything to your liking? I want very much to please you."

Hinamori ducked her head in a failed attempt to hide her blush. "Everything is fine, Captain Aizen."

She had idolized the man from the moment she'd first met him, and somewhere along the way, those feelings had become something more. Of course, he knew about them, as there was very little that Aizen didn't know. But he had not sent her to another Division, or asked her to mask the feelings as something else. All Aizen had asked was that they keep their business relationship and private lives separate.

But that suddenly wasn't an issue anymore. Perhaps he'd been concerned that General Yamamoto might have a problem with it. But now that Aizen was the highest-ranking shinigami in the Seireitei, he could basically do whatever he wanted, including having a very suggestive breakfast with his lieutenant. At least, Hinamori thought it was suggestive: she'd never had cherries and wine at a meal before, and certainly not as a main dish.

Yet despite how much she was enjoying the new, carefree Aizen, she had noticed something odd about him. While he was now officially recognized as the leader of the Gotei 13, he had refused to let anyone call him by the proper title. He asked that everyone simply continue to refer to him as "Captain Aizen." Hinamori had thought he was being modest, at first, but she was no longer so sure. Maybe it was just his way of respecting Yamamoto's memory.

"And your arm? Does it still bother you?" Aizen asked.

"No, not at all. I'm still not sure what you did to it. Not even Captain Unohana was able to-"

"I prefer to believe that Captain Unohana merely chose to leave the scar, as a way of teaching you a lesson, Hinamori. Despite my removing the scar, I do hope the lesson was well learned."

"Um... yes, Captain Aizen! I promise I'll be more careful!" Hinamori nearly shouted.

He smiled warmly. "I'm glad. It pains me to see you hurt, Hinamori. Let's try to avoid that, shall we?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now-" Aizen paused in the middle of his sentence, a faraway look in his eyes. "Ah. Can you feel that, Hinamori?"

She blinked, staring at him uncertainly. "Feel what?"

"Things are going to be very busy for a while, and I'm afraid there is a pressing matter I must attend to in the meantime. I'll need you to stand in for me while I'm away."

Hinamori gaped at him in shock. "You mean... I'm going to be replacing you until-?!"

"You can do it," he insisted, rising from his seat and striding around the table to stand beside her. "I have faith in you, Hinamori. You only need to keep things running smoothly for a little while. I don't think my business will take too long. Remember, be considerate, but decisive and swift. Waiting is often the worst thing you can do in a position of power."

"B-But what if I mess up? What if-?" Hinamori gasped as Aizen reached out to gently cup her cheek.

"I know that you can do this for me, Hinamori. You are my most reliable subordinate, and there is no one else I would trust to rule in my place. Now, I imagine the first reports of a disturbance will come in any minute. It's best to prepare yourself right away."

* * *

"Wake up, Ichi-nii! You have to wake up right now!"

Ichigo's eyes snapped open to find Yuzu clutching his arm, tears rolling down her face.

"Yuzu-chan, calm down," Tatsuki was saying, squeezing her shoulders gently. "We don't know for sure that-"

"Karin's gone, Ichi-nii!" Yuzu wailed, burying her face in his shoulder. "She's gone and no one's seen her since last night!"

Ichigo heard nothing else after that point. He could see that Tatsuki was saying something else, probably telling him to remain calm and not make a hasty decision. But Ichigo didn't hear a word, didn't know for sure what she was telling him.

He only knew that he had failed Karin again, and that once again, someone was going to die for it.

The decision to give the Hollow complete control was less a choice and more an instinctive measure. He had more power, and he wouldn't let meaningless things like procedure and shinigami law slow him down. He would save Karin, and kill anyone who got in his way.

The entire room tensed as the Hollow sat up, stroking Yuzu's hair a few times before handing her to Chad, who took her without a word. Then he got out of the bed and started for the door.

Orihime leaped into his path. "Please wait, Ichigo! You-"

"Get out of my way," the Hollow said slowly, so there could be no mistake, "or I'm going to kill you."

The color drained from Orihime's face. "B-But-"

The Hollow sighed, and shoved her, gently but firmly, into Uryu, who caught her with little trouble. "That was when you were supposed to move." Then he walked to the door and punched it.

The door, and the barrier just beyond it, collapsed into many pieces, and then the Hollow was gone.

* * *

While Karin slept, Acidwire waited.

Acidwire was starting to understand many things about the host, the most prominent being that they likely did not share the same gender. They thought in a completely contrasting manner, and even given the difference between humans and Hollows, Acidwire still felt very out of place dwelling in his host's body. Perhaps he could've spent his time resisting her control, but the constant presence of the Hollow belonging to her older brother frightened him. Not only was it more powerful by far, but Ichigo himself had the strange ability to suppress Acidwire with almost no effort. It was true that he did so in a way that was completely painless, but that was still a power to be wary of.

Perhaps the oddest part about being sealed inside Karin was that she sometimes talked to him, or at least attempted to. It was mostly things that meant nothing to him: how he felt about certain things, if they bothered him the way they bothered her, or if he wanted something. At first, he hadn't bothered to respond. There wouldn't have been much point. But Karin tended to talk more when he didn't at all, and her voice had a certain echo to it that was impossible to ignore, so sleeping was out of the question. So he had started sending back pulses of sensation: anger when she was annoying him, hunger when they came across non-allied Hollows, and bloodlust when they found shinigami. Unfortunately, Karin had ruthlessly been stomping out that last one since arriving in Soul Society, but at least they still largely felt the same about unfamiliar Hollows.

Now, however, Acidwire suspected that his host would rethink her feelings on shinigami, as one had kidnapped them. And while Acidwire was probably capable of launching an attack while Karin was asleep, he didn't even try. Their abductor controlled the shadows, and they surrounded at all times, so there was really no point. At any rate, all Acidwire could do without being noticed was subtly harden Karin's skin, which made it a little paler, but not to the point where it might concern anyone. If they came under attack, it would take considerable force to injure the body.

With that done, Acidwire drew the sleeping Karin deeper into her mind, wrapping his coils around her in a protective embrace. However he felt about his host, in the end was she still his host, and he preferred to have her largely undamaged.

* * *

Despite his failure to find Karin, the Hollow had been surprisingly reserved, in that he had only killed the few shinigami foolish enough to attack him even after sensing his power. He had no time to start meaningless battles, although his inability to sense Karin's spiritual pressure anywhere nearby only made him want to kill something even more than usual.

In an attempt to limit the number of obstacles he ran into, the Hollow had leaped on top of the maze of walls that ran throughout the Seireitei and continued his search that way. From there, it was easy to spot groups of incoming shinigami and launch a small blast of Cero at them before they could scatter. That Zaraki hadn't appeared told him the man was still recovering from their last battle, which was a relief. Zaraki would only interfere with the search. That, it seemed, was what Captains of the Gotei 13 specialized in: getting in his way.

So it was no surprise when the Hollow found his path blocked by the giant Komamura again. But once again, he was not alone. This time, there was another Captain with him: a dark-skinned man wearing a violet visor. That hardly bore mentioning, however, compared to the fact that someone small and female was clinging to Komamura's shoulder. At first, the Hollow mistook her for Yachiru (for obvious reasons), but her hair was dark, and she was actually a bit taller, though not by very much.

"Stop right there, Kurosaki!" the girl shouted. "This is your only warning!"

The Hollow was not impressed, especially when he noticed the lieutenant's armband on her. "I didn't listen to your Captains. What makes you think I'll listen to you, shorty?"

Komamura's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. "Hold your tongue, Hollow! She is Lieutenant Hinamori of the 1st Division, she is acting in Aizen-sama's behalf, and you will pay her the proper respect!"

"Unless she can give me back my sister, or tell me who took her, the only thing she'll be acting as is road-kill. And don't think you're too big to get your ass beat, too."

The other Captain, who had been silent until then, frowned and muttered, "Another simple brute who thirsts for pointless, bloody battle. I think we should grant his wish just this once, Sajin. Even he deserves a final request."

The Hollow sneered at him. "You blind and deaf? I said I want my sister back!"

"If she is as much a meaningless monster as you are, then let us hope you will soon be together in death."

Hinamori knew virtually nothing about their opponent, but even she could tell right away that was the wrong thing to say.

"I'll tell you which meaningless monsters will be together in death!" the Hollow shrieked, his spiritual pressure skyrocketing. "ALL OF YOU DAMNED SHINIGAMI!!!"

"Stop him!" Hinamori cried.

Tosen was already moving, vanishing from sight and appearing several feet above them. "Suzumushi Nishiki!" he shouted, waving his sword and leaving hundreds of enormous blades in its wake. "Beni-"

With a roar of rage, the Hollow smashed through the giant blades, snatched the tip of one, and slashed Tosen across the chest with it, all in the space of a few seconds.

Tosen's mouth fell open in shock as he dropped out of the sky, landing in Komamura's waiting arms.

"Kaname!" Komamura yelled in disbelief. "Are you alright?!"

Tosen said nothing, not because he was unable to, but because he knew there was no point.

Overhead, the Hollow was spinning Zangetsu rapidly over his head by the black cloth around the sword's hilt. An orb of crimson began to form over the blade, steadily growing larger until it looked more like a small sun hovering over the Seireitei.

"My family. My friends. Those few shinigami who swore to help me. And Rukia." The Hollow's eyes narrowed. "Everyone else dies." His lips twisting into a maniacal sneer, he threw the white Zangetsu at the ground. "KUROSAKI CRASH!!!"

The moment the blade sunk into the ground, the crimson sun trembled ominously... and then began its slow but inevitable descent upon the Seireitei.

Komamura glanced down at his dying comrade, then at the approaching attack, and simply dropped Tosen, yanking his own zanpakuto free with a terrific crash. "Bankai! Kokujo Tengen Myo'o!"

A colossal, armored samurai appeared, just in time to catch the orb.

Hinamori sighed in relief, but it faded as the Hollow started laughing.

"I think you people are underestimating just how much I want you dead!"

The orb pulsed once, then started growing again, but more rapidly this time, until even the samurai had trouble holding it up.

Komamura staggered and poured more of his strength into his Bankai. "How can he have so much power?!"

"That's an easy one," the Hollow replied, suddenly right in front of him. "What you're holding back isn't just power. It's my desire to have my sister back where she belongs. Nothing is more important, so nothing can defeat it. Just give up now."

"You would destroy so many lives to save just one?!" Komamura demanded.

"No, that would be insane. I'm doing it because I told you people from the start that I was here to help Rukia, and you still insist on pissing me off. I was even willing to overlook it at first, since I got a decent fight out of it. But now, not only do you take my sister, you try to stop me from getting her back. I'm not doing this out of anger or vengeance. I'm doing this because I'm sick of stupid shinigami getting in my way, and it'll be a lot easier to find Karin afterwards. She'll be one of the few still moving."

"You ARE insane!" Hinamori shouted. "She'll die, too!"

"No, YOU'RE insane. I wouldn't expect you to know, but Kurosaki energy doesn't harm Kurosaki blood." The Hollow paused and squinted up at the samurai, who was just barely holding the orb of destruction up. "See? You're in my way AGAIN. Just hurry up and die already!" He drew back his right arm, then drove his hand directly into Komamura's stomach in a piercing blow, all the way up to his forearm.

Komamura shuddered and sank to his knees, the samurai immediately copying his movements, but managing to balance the orb, however unsteadily, on its shoulders.

The Hollow yanked back his arm, shaking the blood off halfheartedly. He turned his gaze on Hinamori, who took a step back. "So you're the boss right now, huh? That means you know where they'd take Hollows to study them, right?"

Hinamori paled. "I-I don't-"

"If you can't help me," the Hollow whispered in her ear, suddenly behind her, "I can just leave you here to die, like everyone else."

"The 12th Division!" Hinamori blurted out.

"See?" the Hollow said, grinning and poking her roughly in the shoulder. "You're sounding more like the boss already. Lead the way!"

* * *

"Finally!" Captain Kurotsuchi crowed in triumph. "I have yet to meet the experimental subject that can outwit me!"

It had ultimately taken a syringe thicker than his arm, with a needle the size of his finger, but it was the only one that wouldn't break upon contact with Kurosaki Karin's skin. It was really rather ironic in his mind, since he was only pumping her full of a serum composed chiefly of Hollow particles, which, from all indications, would only make her stronger in the end. Insane, too, perhaps, but definitely stronger.

Some trial and error with his last test subject had already produced fascinating results. After Rukia's own injections, no matter how badly she was harmed, she regenerated in a matter of seconds, even from what should've been fatal wounds. He'd stopped short of cutting her head off, for now, as that had ruined more than a few experiments in the past. But recovering quickly was definitely a plus, and would be especially useful once he began the training phase. If Karin's healing rate was on par with Rukia's, he could have them fight each other, giving him a chance to better assess their other abilities.

On the downside, Rukia had not regained consciousness since the last round of injections. If push came to shove, he could force her muscles into action with a constant stream of electric signals, although that was sure to push Rukia's healing powers to their very limits. Well, so long as she didn't die, he'd find some use for her.

Smiling at the thought, Kurotsuchi made a note of Karin's vital signs on his clipboard, then tapped the intercom linked to the chamber next door to his lab. "Nemu! Prepare Kuchiki for the next batch of tests immediately!" When there was not an instant response, he frowned. "Did you hear me, Nemu, you useless cow?! I said get Kuchiki in here right now!"

Instead of Nemu's obedient reply, there was a muted splat, as of something wet striking a hard surface, and then silence.

Frowning, Kurotsuchi stood up and walked across the lab to the sealed chamber door, already planning new way sin which he would punish Nemu for failing to carry out his orders. But when the door slid open at his touch, he saw that, for once, Nemu had an excellent reason for having failed him.

Nemu was lying flat on her back in the doorway, staring up at her creator with an expression of obvious shock. Her skin was even paler than usual, and there was a curious, sparkly film clinging to it.

Kurotsuchi bent down and brushed his thumb over her ice-cold cheek, confirming what he'd already suspected, being familiar with Rukia's shinigami powers. That Rukia was curiously absent, and that there was a trail of melting snow leading from the operation table, all the way out of the chamber, only confirmed his theory.

Nemu had failed to prevent Rukia's escape, not because she was busy being defiant, but because she was busy being dead.

"My, my," Kurotsuchi sighed, absently drumming his fingers on his daughter's forehead, "how very annoying you're turning out to be today, Nemu. If you're going to insist on being so troublesome, I think I might just revive you with something particularly nasty, like a flesh-eating bacteria or a multitude of cancers. Maybe then you won't get yourself killed so easily the next time."

* * *

Rukia had feared that the Hollow who eventually took over her body and mind would be a screeching, murderous animal, not unlike the version of Ichigo that still frightened her rather badly. The reality, though, was somehow much worse.

As with Ichigo's transformation, there was no Hollow mask present. But in Rukia's case, nothing about her face changed, save that it became devoid of all emotion. Anyone who came across her in that state might not even realize that there was anything wrong, at first. And that would most likely lead to their doom.

She wanted to think that Nemu had been an accident. But Rukia could not deny that some part of her hated the 12th Division lieutenant for what she'd done, even if she was only following her father's orders. There had even been a small amount of satisfaction when the Hollow had frozen Nemu from the inside-out with a single slash of her zanpakuto. That was a curious new power, one Rukia had never even imagined herself capable of. Even stranger was the way her entire body had turned to snow in order to slip out of the restraints. It reminded her far too much of Captain Kurotsuchi, who was probably behind it in the first place, which only made her more reluctant to do so again.

Currently, the Hollow was only concerned with freedom, and reaching the surface. From what Rukia could tell, it was not especially bloodthirsty or psychotic, but that unwavering calmness worried her. The Hollow felt nothing, and would most likely strike down any of Rukia's friends as easily as taking a breath, if it saw them as obstacles.

Unfortunately, Rukia had a habit of collecting friends that were just as stubborn as she was.

But the next person they encountered was not one of Rukia's friends, or at least not one that she'd ever met before.

"You are Kuchiki Rukia... or you were, at one time," the young woman said, pushing her glasses higher onto her face with a finger. "I am Yadomaru Lisa, and despite all appearances to the contrary, I am here to help you."

The Hollow stopped, staring at the woman impassively for several seconds. Then Rukia felt their lips twitch.

"We will fight now."

Lisa smirked, laying a hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto. "I could not agree more."

* * *

Once he had placed her on Captain Kurotsuchi's operating table, Akio had assumed that he would never see Kurosaki Karin alive again.

And he was right, in a way.

Because the next time that Akio saw Karin, she was Acidwire instead, and in the middle of ripping out the guts of the 12th Division's 3rd Seat, Suzumiya Harumi.

This was disturbing for several reasons.

Harumi was known for many things, but being easily defeated was not among them. It was rumored that she actually could defeat Nemu, but had wisely always stopped just short of doing so. Akio certainly believed it: Harumi's zanpakuto could even alter reality itself, though within a limited range. He had never been able to take her in a fight, anyway, and now he never would.

And, if the latest reports were true, with both Kurotsuchi missing, and the 4th Seat confirmed dead, Akio was currently the highest ranking officer in the 12th Division. It was no wonder a runner had been sent to get him. But now he realized that they had only summoned him to his death.

Acidwire lost interest in Harumi after she finally stopped twitching, and tossed her aside like she was trash.

Akio hadn't liked Harumi, but he still looked away as he heard her body smack into the wall of the ruined lab. She, and everyone else who would die by this red monster's claws, deserved better.

But he knew they'd only get far worse. Either Acidwire would rip them apart, or Captain Kurotsuchi would dissect them when he found his lab destroyed and his test subjects gone. Acidwire would be quick about it, at least.

Well, quicker.

"So you want revenge, huh, kid?" Akio asked softly.

Acidwire slowly turned towards him. There was no humanity reflected in those red eyes, only rage and pain.

"No. You're just lashing out at anything that moves. I've seen that look in this lab a lot. Take it out on me, but don't expect me to just stand here and take it."

There was a brief spark of recognition, and then Acidwire howled, lurching across the lab towards him and smashing through anything in its path.

Akio waited and moved at the last possible second, figuring that he was at least the faster of the two. But the rip in his robes and the blood seeping through them told him different. "No choice, then," he sighed, drawing his sword. "Bankai."

Every shadow in the room slithered towards Akio, forming a large puddle beneath his feet. Two large, golden eyes peered up at him. "This is only the third time you've called for me, human."

"And it will be the last time. I'm prepared to offer my entire body to bring out your full power. Now! Enshroud, Maou no Kage!"

The shadows erupted from the floor in a dark fountain, drawing Akio into their depths and fusing with his body.

Acidwire watched in silence as an enormous shadow creature arose from the floor, flexing its massive, muscular arms and glaring with its huge, golden eyes.

"Now we will see who the greater monster is, little one! For I, Lord of All Shadows, Master of HURK!" The creature looked down to see the tip of a sword protruding from its belly. "No! NO!"

The sword was yanked out roughly, and the shadows fled, revealing a dying Akio as he fell face first to the floor.

"So this is what the 12th Division is like under that dickhead Mayuri?" snorted a small blond girl with her hair in pigtails. "Good thing I left when I did." She spat on Akio's body and sheathed her zanpakuto, giving him a final kick for good measure.

Acidwire growled softly, its red eyes narrowing. Here, finally, was a powerful opponent. With no further thought, the Hollow rushed forward, fully intending to rip the girl to shreds.

Without even looking up, the girl spun around and planted her sandaled foot right between Acidwire's eyes, splitting the Hollow's mask in two and causing its body to rapidly revert to its human state. "Tch! And to think I came here to save you, you ungrateful brat! So it's time for lesson one from Hiyori-sama: you control the Hollow, not the other way around. You'll never stand a chance against a real opponent by just going for the throat all the time. That only works on the really stupid ones."

She was just reaching down to pick up the girl when the back wall exploded inward, revealing a terrified Hinamori and Ichigo's Hollow, his hand still smoking from the Cero he'd used. His eyes went immediately to Karin, and then to Hiyori. "What the hell did you do to-"

Hiyori vanished, reappeared on the Hollow's shoulders, snatched off her sandal, and planted it across his mouth in a brutal smack. "SHUT UP!!! Do I LOOK like I'm in the mood to explain things to a bunch of morons?! When I get back, first I'm gonna kill that dickhead Shinji, then I'm gonna kill Lisa for dragging me into this, then I'm gonna kill YOU for talkin' back to met after I saved your dumb sister, and THEN I'll kill anyone else that happens to be nearby, because dammit, I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS SHIT!!!"

The Hollow blinked, rubbing his aching mouth. "Why are you gonna kill Shinji?"

"Because I CAN, that's why!"

"Uh... right. Ichigo, you take over. I dunno what's going on anymore, and this kid is seriously starting to freak me out." The Hollow retreated, and Ichigo opened his eyes, only to get another smack across the mouth. "HEY!!!"

"You got that because you're with him!" the girl snapped.

Ichigo glared at her, rubbing his jaw. "You said you know Shinji. Does that mean you're a Vizard, too?"

"Want proof?" she asked, moving her hand towards her face, as if reaching for a nonexistent mask.

His eyes widened. "No, I believe you!"

"Good. Then pick up your sister and get the hell out of here. I've got better places to be."

"Wait! Could you take her with you?"

"And why the hell would I do that?"

"Uh... I'll kill Shinji for you later?"

She snorted. "I doubt you could, and anyway, it's more fun to do it myself. So what's in it for me?"

Ichigo could think of nothing the girl might want from him, save a decent fight, but there was something the Vizards in general apparently wanted. "If you take Karin with you, I'll fight with you guys whenever you say from now on."

She stared at him for a long moment. "Deal. But if you flake on us, ever, I'll hunt you down and-"

"Kill me?" he guessed.

There was a sinister look in her eyes as she replied, "Yeah, but that would be the very last thing I did to you. Everything else you could live through... in theory. Oh, and your snitch is getting away." She pointed to where Hinamori used to be standing.

"Doesn't matter. I was only using her to find Karin. If she could do anything to stop me, she would've done it by now."

* * *

Hiyori was more or less always in a bad mood, but it only worsened at the sight before her.

Lisa was sitting on the ground, calmly flipping through one of her manga. Draped across her lap at an awkward angle was an unconscious Rukia, who Lisa was using as a table. Lisa barely even raised her head as Hiyori came stomping towards her, loud footsteps echoing throughout the underground tunnel.

"You're late," Lisa noted. "Did you have any trouble?"

"Bite me!" Hiyori snapped. "Let's just get out of here already!"

Lisa glanced at her comrade curiously, then at the unconscious Karin draped over her shoulder. "Fine," she murmured, tossing Rukia towards Hiyori. "I'll need a minute, and then I'll be right behind you."

Hiyori caught Rukia with her free hand, but muttered a long stream of obscenities under her breath as she stomped past Lisa, who stood and carefully brushed off her clothes.

"It's nice to see that she hasn't changed," Captain Kyoraku murmured as he stepped out of the darkness beside her.

"I doubt she could, even if she really wanted to. I can't believe they didn't even bother to modify the tunnels. We barely even needed your information to locate our targets."

"Is that your way of thanking me for my help, Lisa-chan?" he asked, favoring her with a small smile.

"If I'm thanking you for anything, it's for not interfering with our mission. That can't have been easy."

He shook his head. "Oh, you'd be surprised how effectively an all-night sake party can make an entire Division useless for at least a day. Fun, too."

"Charming," she said dryly. "How much trouble are you going to be in, exactly?"

"It'll be fine. And even if it were something as bad as exile, I can think of a place where I'd be welcome." He grinned at her suggestively.

"Really? Where?"

He sighed. "That really hurt, Lisa-chan. But I'll forgive you because I love you."

Her face went blank. "Me and any other woman that can put up with your sake breath for more than a minute, you mean. By the way, how's Nanao?"

"Perky as ever! Should I tell her I saw you?"

"Don't be stupid. It would only upset her, and someone might overhear you. It's better if you forget you saw me. In fact, maybe I'd better hit you over the head with a brick, to help you along."

He took a step back, his expression becoming serious. "I'm entrusting Lieutenant Kuchiki to you, Lisa-chan. Take good care of her."

"You should stop calling her that," Lisa advised him as she turned to leave. "Whether we manage to save her or not, she won't be coming back here."

* * *

"Something isn't right here..."

No one disagreed with Tatsuki's statement, because that much was obvious.

The landscape of Hueco Mundo was almost completely unrecognizable to Ichigo and his companions now. There were huge, gaping holes spread out everywhere, and the once vast desert was slowly emptying its sand into the seemingly bottomless pits as they watched.

"Was there a meteor shower while we were gone?" Yuzu asked.

"Impossible," Uryu stated as he bent down to examine the nearest hole. "These holes did not result from anything slamming into the ground. Rather, they resulted from something bursting up from the ground."

"I know what it was," Chad said suddenly.

"Is it the same reason why you brought us here in the first place?" Ichigo asked. "I came back for you guys to make sure you got out of Soul Society safely, but I don't really consider this place much safer."

"I didn't choose to bring us here, Ichigo. My powers did. They wanted me to come."

Ichigo frowned. "Why?"

"I think we needed to see this. It's important, or it will be later."

"Chad," Tatsuki murmured, "what was it?"

"The Hollows. All of them."

"What do you mean, all of them?!"

"Exactly what I said, Tatsuki," Chad replied ominously. "We're the only Hollows left in Hueco Mundo. The rest are gone."

* * *

Hinamori did not manage to stop Ichigo.

What she did do, however, was prevent the total destruction of the Seireitei. It had taken every member of the Kidou Corps, but they had somehow managed to contain the explosion that Ichigo had set off. But this, according to Hinamori, was only because Ichigo's desire to destroy them all had weakened at some point afterwards. Otherwise, there would have been no stopping it.

In the end, Ichigo only claimed nine victims: the shinigami who had gotten in his way, and Captains Tosen and Komamura.

Even fewer had died by Karin's hands, but considering that Captain Kurotsuchi had captured her without permission, any losses he took in the process were deemed his own responsibility.

Ichigo and his companions vanished during the chaos, and no one was in a real hurry to track them down.

Also unaccounted for was Kuchiki Rukia, although only a few realized that both the genuine article and the fake were missing, and of those, only Unohana was certain what had happened to the fake, as she'd disposed of it herself. She knew that with a lieutenant missing and two Captains dead, Aizen would be forced to make some drastic changes, and hopefully expose at least a portion of his scheme to the public.

She never guessed that Aizen was three hundred steps ahead of her.

There was even more tension than usual at the Captains' meeting that night, but it was expected. However they felt about each other, a Captain falling in battle indicated vulnerability in the Gotei 13, and it made everyone uneasy. Losing two at once was even worse. Of course, Hinamori trying to rule over the proceedings wasn't going well. Few Captains were going to take orders, or even suggestions, from a lieutenant.

Then something happened, something which made all their in-fighting vanish.

It began as a black, horizontal line in mid-air, and slowly split apart, like a tooth-filled mouth opening wide.

Byakuya's hand moved to his sword, but Yoruichi caught his wrist and shook her head slightly. She was probably the only Captain fast enough to do so, let alone the only one who could do so safely. Byakuya glanced at her, but stopped trying to draw his sword.

Aizen was revealed standing within the dark tunnel, the usual pleasant smile on his face. "I must apologize for being away so long, but I wanted to be sure that the Seireitei was ready to meet new threats."

"Such as the one that rampaged through here while you were away?" Kurotsuchi snapped.

"Exactly."

"You have some new preventative measures in mind?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Actually, they've already been implemented," Aizen explained, stepping out of the tunnel and moving to the left of it. "Please allow my beloved Espada to introduce themselves to you," he said, gesturing to the five people that stepped through behind him.

The first to come forward wore a tall helmet and spoke with a digitized voice. "I am Aaroniero, ranked fifth among the Espada."

"Halibel, first among the Espada," stated the tallest female.

"Ulquiorra, second among the Espada," added the male beside her with what seemed to be a rather bored expression.

"Hiya, everyones!" the tiny girl next to him shouted, waving her arms wildly and hopping up and down so she could be more easily seen and heard. "I'm Nel, and this is my big brother, Grimmjow!" She pointed to the final Espada, who, despite his fearsome and slightly feral appearance, was also holding her hand. "We're Espada 3 and 4, yup yup!"

"We are the enforcers of Aizen-sama's will," Ulquiorra added. "As such, we do not hesitate in making his wishes reality. Accepting this now is vital to the Seireitei's continued existence."

There was a tense, prolonged silence.

"Who the hell are these jokers?" Zaraki finally demanded. "And why do they reek like Hollows?"

"They are Hollows," Hitsugaya muttered. "Or they once were."

"We are Arrancar, in service to Aizen-sama," Aaroniero corrected. "We are as far beyond mere Hollows as your Captains are beyond Rukongai dwellers. Farther, even."

Zaraki glared at him. "You saying you can take me, punk?"

"That is a given," Ulquiorra responded. "Not only that, but Aaroniero could devour you all at once. You might call it his specialty."

"No time like the present," Zaraki growled, taking a step forward.

"I would advise against that," Aizen said. "You are still wounded from your battle with Kurosaki, and my Espada are quite merciless. In addition, I have given them permission to kill anyone who challenges them, and I see we are missing a few Captains already. It would be a shame to lose another."

"What's shameful is that you're trying to bring Hollows into the Gotei 13!" Ukitake argued, pausing to cough into his hand. "Have you forgotten how long we've been hunting these creatures?"

Aizen smiled. "Well, I don't think that will be possible in this case. And you'll notice that I never said they would be part of the Gotei 13."

"We only serve Aizen-sama," Halibel pointed out.

"He's the boss!" Nel added, giggling softly.

"I'm starting to like that idea less and less," Ukitake murmured.

"Then you will die," Ulquiorra said simply.

There was no time to react as a thin beam of green light shot from Ulquiorra's finger and tore directly through the center of Ukitake's heart. The white-haired man gasped and fell to the floor, very much dead.

"As I said, it would be a shame to lose another," Aizen sighed. "I trust that will be the last Captain we lose today?"

There were no objections.

* * *

Karin woke up to the sound of screams. The large, green rock she was lying on was oddly warm and soft, but of course that didn't matter. The source of the screams did.

They were coming from the short, pigtailed blond girl that had defeated Acidwire with a single kick. She was currently inside of a golden barrier, screaming her frustration as she tried to attack someone who looked a great deal like Rukia, save for the white robes and blood red belt around her waist. And as the Rukia look-alike blocked or dodged Hiyori's blows with no visible effort, the blank expression on her face never changed in the least.

Fear filled Karin as she watched. Hiyori had seemed like the strongest person ever to her, and now Rukia had surpassed her. "She's so strong now..."

"No, Karin," said an unfamiliar voice behind her. "It isn't her strength that's growing."

Karin looked up in alarm, relaxing slightly as she took in the tall, relatively normal-looking schoolgirl standing there. At least, she'd never heard of anyone crazy and female dressing like one, so she thought it was safe. "Who are you, and what do you mean?"

"You may call me Lisa. I'm an... associate of Ichigo's. Rukia is not that much stronger than the last time you saw her. But her mind is another matter. In this form, it is emptied of all thoughts, save those focusing on battle. She learns any strategy used against her at a fantastic rate. She learns from every move her foe makes, and you literally can't use the same attack twice against her. Hiyori is just starting to accept this."

Karin looked back, shocked to see Hiyori backpedaling and clutching her left arm, which was bleeding heavily. She didn't seem afraid, however, just angrier and confused.

"This is bad," said another voice, and Karin jumped two feet when she felt the words echo through the rock she was lying on. "After Hiyori, it's your turn, Lisa. And if what you said is true, you can't beat her a second time."

"I know, Hachi. But you're the only one who hasn't gone, and you have to maintain the barrier."

Karin stared up at the enormous man towering over her, blushing as she realized she'd been draped over his knee the whole time. It never occurred to her to be afraid of him, though: his voice was calm and soft, like Chad's. Anyway, she'd never live it down if anyone found out she'd been afraid of a guy with pink hair.

"So you just need someone new to fight her for a while, right?" Karin asked quietly.

Lisa stared at Karin. "What you're thinking won't work. She won't even recognize you."

Karin smirked. "I tried to kill her once. She won't have forgotten that."

"I seriously doubt that will help in this case. She'll kill you."

"Not necessarily," Hachi disagreed. "She has displayed no emotion so far. Rukia would care, but her Hollow won't. And if Karin's presence will bring Rukia out to the surface, then our goal will be met."

"But we haven't even secured Karin's Hollow yet!" Lisa protested.

A soft chuckle interrupted them. "Then maybe we'll kill two birds with one stone, hey, Lisa?"

"As with most of your ideas, Shinji, this one stinks."

"Let her try," Shinji insisted, looking at Karin thoughtfully. "She's a Kurosaki. She's tough."

"Ichigo will never forgive you if she dies."

"So we'll just make sure she doesn't. If things get out of hand, then we'll dog pile Rukia. She knows how to beat us one-on-one, but it'll take her some time to work that out. While she's busy doing that, Hiyori will take her down. Hard."

Lisa shook her head. "That would kill Rukia, which we're trying to avoid."

"But if we can't get her under control, unless Ichigo shows up to help out, that's the best fate for her. You warned Kyoraku about that, right? He should've known the risks either way."

"I don't... want her to die," Karin muttered. "Not as a Hollow. Not because of something Ichigo did to her." What she didn't say was that it would break her heart to see that helpless look on Ichigo's face again. She didn't want him to feel like he'd failed again.

"I understand that," Lisa sighed, "but without complete control over your own Hollow, you won't last long. Maybe two minutes, at best."

"And if I gave it complete control?"

"Only a Kurosaki would even think of doing something that insane. But I'll save you the trouble: don't. We'd only end up having to kill both you and Rukia."

"The girl is our best option right now," Hachi murmured. "And she wants to try. Even if she only lasts a minute, it's a minute longer the rest of us have to gather our strength and prepare the final attack."

Lisa scowled at him. "Well, if either of them dies, you two will be the ones to tell Ichigo."

Before either of them could respond, there was a sharp cry of pain, and then Hiyori slammed into the barrier with jarring force, a thick sheet of ice forming around her feet and rapidly rising, obviously meaning to coat the rest of her body.

"Hachi, get her out of there!" Shinji shouted, grabbing Karin by the back of her shirt and throwing her like a football.

Karin instinctively covered her head, fearing that she'd crash right into the barrier. Instead, a large hole opened in the barrier, she passed harmlessly over Hiyori's head, who shot her a look of wide-eyed shock, just before the blond girl fell backwards into Shinji's arms.

Karin managed to land upright, but her blood ran cold at the sight of Rukia. The only difference from a few minutes ago was that there was now Rukia's robes were stained red with blood, and Karin suspected that none of it was her own. As if noticing the direction of her stare, Rukia glanced down, and the blood simply vanished. Karin didn't know what to think of that, but a familiar voice in the back of her head told her that the blood had been absorbed, not for any particular reason, but just because it was in the scope of Rukia's abilities now.

"I know you don't have any reason to help her," Karin whispered, "but I also know you don't want to die, Acidwire. Help me bring out the real Rukia, and we won't die."

"What a strange child you are," Acidwire chuckled in her head. "Don't you realize? The only way to bring her out is to die yourself, or at least to make her think you're going to."

"Will you help me, then?"

After an uncomfortable silence, Acidwire grunted. "I'll keep US alive, child, if that's what you mean."

"Thanks, Acid-kun," Karin murmured without really thinking.

A prolonged silence followed, in which Karin could actually feel her skin hardening, a sensation that was not so much unpleasant as it was weird. She had no time to dwell on that, however, because Rukia suddenly closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, the white blade of her zanpakuto flashing ominously. Karin was preparing to move when she made the mistake of glancing into Rukia's eyes.

There was no recognition, no anger, nothing at all that identified this person as the same Rukia she'd attacked before. And while Karin should've known this, for an instant, she was swallowed up by fear. She knew what it felt like to be lost inside a Hollow's body, and for someone as strong as Rukia, it had to be infinitely worse, to be devoured by her own power.

Rukia's Hollow, however, was held back by no such memories, and without pausing, drove her sword deep into Karin's stomach.

Karin felt no pain as her strength left her, only a coldness spreading out from the terrible wound she was too afraid to look at. She sagged against Rukia and fought to keep her eyes open, even as she sensed the rising spiritual pressures of the Vizards all around them, tainted with alarm and, in some cases, fury.

That, Karin could understand.

What she could not understand, as the darkness crept over her, was why Rukia's eyes, still lacking any emotion, were brimming over with tears of blood.

**End of Part 6.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Blood and Snow**

Rukia faces her inner Hollow, the Seireitei is rocked by more deaths, and the origin of the Espada is revealed.

* * *

Endnotes:

The Espada's numbers and personalities are slightly different for a reason. More on that next time. I welcome any guesses in the meantime, as they might give me some ideas I hadn't thought of. But here's a hint: Hueco Mundo being empty is related.

Karin's transformation is a bit more complicated now. She has 3 forms: Human (which she controls), Hollow (which Acidwire controls), and Arrancar (which both have some control over). She was in Hollow form when facing Hiyori, which is why her mask breaks, causing her to return to normal. From what I can tell, breaking an Arrancar's mask only seems to make them stronger. So I guess they're more like power sources for Hollows, and seals for Arrancar, which results in opposite effects.

Rukia isn't wearing a mask. The less obvious reason is because she was infected by Ichigo, who also has no mask. No, they aren't the same (far from it), but based on Aizen's experiments, I'd say Hollow particles are contagious and capable of being transmitted through the air. So Ichigo gave Rukia his cooties, which I'm sure you all just love the idea of.

Akio: 12th Division, 5th Seat

Shikai command: "Surround!"

Ouja no Kage (King of Shadow)

Bankai: Maou no Kage (Devil King of Shadow)

(based rather loosely on the boss Darkside, from Kingdom Hearts)

Suzumiya Harumi: 12th Division, 4th Seat

(I trust you can tell where I stole that from)


	7. Blood and Snow

Notes: More deaths in this chapter, and there are two important things to keep in mind. First, the Espada are MUCH stronger than they should be, which will be explained soon. Second, virtually all shinigami are under Aizen's hypnosis, to varying degrees.

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 7: Blood and Snow**

* * *

Captain Unohana was not usually one to judge based on first impressions, but in this case, not only was she convinced to make an exception, but nearly the whole of the Seireitei were in agreement with her.

The Espada were monsters, plain and simple.

There had been a few protests, but only among those that had not witnessed Ukitake's murder in person. Unohana had no doubt that the protestors would soon end up on her table, just as he had.

"I am so sorry, my old friend," she sighed, carefully brushing an errant lock of white hair out of Ukitake's face.

She had checked him thoroughly after the meeting, searching desperately for any hope that he could be revived. But what she found only convinced her further of the cruelty of the Espada.

Ulquiorra's green Cero had barely been any larger than a pencil. If the blast's power had been devoted solely to piercing, there would've at least been a chance. Instead, the Cero had detonated inside Ukitake's heart, to the point where the vital organ had been completely obliterated. This left little doubt in Unohana's mind that the attack had been premeditated, as she had never seen such deadly intent even among Hollows.

Perhaps the only good thing was that not all of the Espada seemed so dedicated to causing pain and death on a whim. Halibel was largely uninterested in the operation of the Gotei 13, and generally followed Aizen like a bodyguard. Aaroniero had an unnerving habit of suddenly appearing to perform surprise inspections, but had yet to harm anyone beyond some observations that were also thinly-veiled insults.

Nel and Grimmjow, who were never seen more than ten feet apart, spent most of their time touring the various Divisions, as if they were sightseeing. There was no doubt that Grimmjow could easily become just as violent as Zaraki, but so far, it had only happened the one time Nel had been insulted. Unohana had yet to identify the victim, as his head had been vaporized, and what remained of his body would take time to put back together. Nel appeared to be the most normal of the Espada, although this really only meant that she and Grimmjow would be Yachiru and Zaraki, if they had been Arrancar instead of shinigami. In fact, Nel and Yachiru had reportedly become fast friends, despite how uneasy Zaraki and Grimmjow were around each other.

None of that made Unohana any more comfortable around the Espada, so when Isane stuck her head in, shaking badly, and told her that two Espada wanted to view the body, Unohana prepared herself for anything.

She was not expecting Nel and Grimmjow, but of all the Espada, they were the only ones that she suspected might not try to desecrate Ukitake's corpse.

Nel was riding on Grimmjow's shoulders as usual, her little hands buried in his hair. She was looking back and forth rapidly, her eyes wide with awe at nearly everything she saw. Grimmjow looked just shy of bored, which, if Ulquiorra was any indicator, was extremely dangerous.

"You are Captain Unohana?" Grimmjow asked, glancing at her and then the body.

"Yes," she said softly. "Are you-"

"HI!" Nel shouted, grinning and freeing up one of her hands to wave.

"Hello," Unohana replied, forcing herself to smile. "You must be Nel."

"Yeah! And... um... I came to do something. What was it, Grimmy?"

"View the body, Nel-sama," Grimmjow answered.

"Oh! Yeah, that!" She scrambled down his arm and peered closely at Ukitake. "Ulqui is so mean sometimes. He didn't have to kill him!"

"No. But he likes to think of that as being more efficient."

"But it's MEAN!" Nel whined, staring up at him with teary eyes.

"Yes," Grimmjow agreed, patting her head and saying nothing more.

Nel turned to Unohana, who was watching her closely. "Can I kiss him hello?"

Though she had no idea what that meant, it seemed like an innocent enough request. "If you like."

Nel bent down and gently kissed Ukitake's forehead. "Sorry, Mister Old Guy. But you're all better now!"

Unohana gasped as Ukitake's body began to glow bright green. "What did you do?!"

"Reverse Revival!" Nel cheered, doing a little dance on the table.

In the next instant, something went horribly wrong, or right, as it were.

Because Ukitake sat up. At least, Unohana was sure it was him, because she'd seen pictures of him as a boy, and that's what he looked like at the moment: a very confused, white-haired, ten-year old boy.

"Retsu-san? What happened?" the boy muttered. "I... I thought I was dead for sure. Did you save me?"

She shook her head slowly and pointed at Nel, who was grinning at him.

The boy stared at her, then noticed Grimmjow behind her, and quickly jumped back, nearly toppling off the table before Unohana caught him.

"Don't worry," Unohana murmured soothingly. "I don't think they're here to hurt you. She revived you... somehow."

"Yeah! You're all better now!" Nel said loudly. "Great, right?"

The boy stared at her, then at his hands. "Why am I so young?"

Nel blinked, clearly confused. "But that's the best part!"

"This is the only way Nel-sama can revive someone," Grimmjow explained. "Each of the Espada commands an aspect of time. Nel-sama's aspect is youth."

"So could you have done it?" the boy asked.

"No. Of all the Espada, only Nel-sama and Halibel are capable of reviving others. But Halibel would not go against Aizen-sama like this."

Unohana stared at him in growing confusion. "And you would?"

"I am only interested in protecting Nel-sama," Grimmjow replied, avoiding her gaze. "That is what brothers do."

"We should go now!" Nel chirped, hopping back onto Grimmjow's shoulders. "I promised Yachiru that we wouldn't be late for her tea party!"

"Yes, Nel-sama." Grimmjow turned to leave, but paused in the doorway. "You would be wise to take on another identity, Ukitake. Nel-sama has never revived the same person twice successfully. If you are killed again, only Halibel could save you, and I doubt she would choose to."

"I still can't believe I'm alive," the boy murmured, poking at himself in various places.

"We should take certain measures to ensure that you stay that way," Unohana said, touching his shoulder lightly. "I'm afraid that it's best that you are believed to be dead. From what I have seen so far, none of us could hope to defeat any of the Espada. Hiding your identity may be the only way to protect you. But there's so much that could go wrong. And if you're constantly coming to me for treatment, Aizen may-"

"I... don't think that will be a problem," the boy said softly, his eyes widening. "For the first time in a long time, I don't feel sick. At all. My illness... it's gone."

* * *

"DIE!!!" Rukia screeched at the top of her lungs, driving her zanpakuto directly into the Hollow's heart.

The Hollow blinked, glanced at the wound, and sighed. "You are starting to bore me."

Rukia slowly withdrew her sword, her shoulders sinking with dismay as what should've been a fatal wound healed instantly. There wasn't even any blood. It had been like that since the start of the battle. She'd tried everything she could think of, but nothing she did seemed to harm the Hollow at all.

It made no sense. Rukia had been given every advantage. They were fighting within her own mind, and the battleground itself was an ice-filled cave. Any one of her usual attacks should've been enough to finish the battle in an instant. The Hollow had not even bothered with attacking her yet. And yet she was still losing.

"You still don't understand," the Hollow sighed. "Let me show you why such attacks are doomed to fail." She raised her hand, pointing at Rukia. "Cero Blanco," she whispered.

Rukia had only seconds to react, and though she knew the attack was coming, she was still shocked by the massive size of the white beam that erupted from the Hollow's fingertip and bore down on her. She had only one attack that could hope to match such power, and just barely had time to set it up.

"Next Dance: White Ripple!" Rukia shouted, pouring most of her power into the attack. The sheer force of launching her own beam rocked her backwards, but she tumbled to the hard ground knowing she'd survive. In retrospect, it might've been better if she'd dashed her head on an ice-covered rock.

Then she wouldn't have had to see the Cero swallow her beam whole like it was nothing, and keep coming. She could only watch with wide eyes as death came for her.

That is, until someone rudely booted her in the back, knocking her out of the beam's path and into an ice spire.

"How the hell did you get to be a lieutenant? You're really bad at this stuff," a familiar voice asked in her ear.

Rukia looked up into the golden eyes of Ichigo's Hollow, who was grinning at her. "Y-You...?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you this time. But that's no reason to let her kick your ass."

"I wasn't letting her!" Rukia snapped, forgetting to be afraid in her anger. "She's stronger than me! Nothing I do hurts her!"

"So do something different, stupid!" He thumped her roughly on the head with his fist. "Wasn't that obvious from the start?"

Rukia was greatly tempted to attack him, but didn't want to risk both Hollows ganging up on her. "Why are you here?!"

"How the hell should I know? It's your brain. You tell me!"

She knew that was a lie, but didn't have time to discuss it. He'd saved her once, but had said nothing about doing it again, and now that her own Hollow was over the shock of him being there, the battle would soon start again. Rukia still had no idea what she was going to do, and started to consider an ambush. Perhaps if she was quiet enough-

"She isn't even cut anywhere!" Hollow Ichigo said loudly in disbelief. "What the hell have you been doing all this time, Rukia?!"

Rukia glared at him, but did not feel like wasting time explaining things. "Why don't you try to cut her and see what happens?!"

"Best idea you've had since you've been here!" he snorted... which, Rukia realized with growing anger, meant that he'd watched the whole thing. She very nearly chased after him when he darted out from behind the ice spire and charged. But she thought better of it when, just as it had with her own attacks, the Hollow's skin repaired itself instantly no matter how many times it was slashed. After a few slices, Hollow Ichigo ran back to Rukia, barely ducking in time to avoid having his head blown off by another Cero Blanco.

"Okay, so that didn't work," he panted, actually looking surprised. "I guess it's not just your sword that doesn't hurt her."

Rukia took a moment to study his sword. What stood out most was that it was largely white, just as hers and her Hollow's were. No real surprise there, except that it definitely wasn't an ice-type. She could tell that much with a glance.

"What type is your zanpakuto?" she asked.

He frowned at her. "The cutting type? How the hell should-"

"When you swing it, what comes out?!" Rukia demanded heatedly.

He frowned deeper. "Instant death? What does it-"

Rukia's fist connected with his jaw before she even realized she'd done it. "Don't be stupid! Do you even know it's name?!"

Hollow Ichigo glared at her and rubbed his jaw. "Zangetsu."

Rukia frowned. "So either it really is a... cutting type, or a moon type...? That doesn't make any-"

"MOVE!" he shouted abruptly, grabbing Rukia roughly and slamming her against a nearby ice spire.

Rukia was nearly knocked senseless, but gathered her wits enough to yell at him when she saw why he'd moved her: a very familiar zanpakuto had been driven through his chest, and blood so dark that it looked black was spreading from the wound.

"Gonna leave a mark," he grunted, wincing as the sword vanished.

"He cannot save you forever," Rukia's Hollow stated, staring at the blood on her sword.

On that much, they agreed. Rukia moved without thought, covering his wound with her hands. She had no idea if it would work, but her Hollow had done it, and she couldn't just let Ichigo's die. "White Moon," she whispered, smiling as she felt intense cold spreading from her fingers.

"The hell?" Hollow Ichigo gasped as ice formed over the wound. "What are you-"

"It won't feel good, but it'll stop the blood, for now," Rukia assured him with a small smile.

He stared at her for a long moment, his expression blank. Finally, he sighed and said, "Right idea, wrong way." Before she could ask, he slapped his hands over hers. "Don't screw it up. This only works the one time."

Rukia didn't move as what she'd thought was blood flowed over her hands, leaving fingers with a mild burning sensation. "What did you do?"

"If I can give you a Hollow accidentally, I can give you this on purpose. Go for the throat and don't miss, got it?"

She nodded when he released her hands, then darted around him and dove at her Hollow. Just as Rukia had hoped, her Hollow made no move to dodge, figuring the attack would be ineffective, anyway. What Rukia hadn't counted on was the snow-white sword that was driven into her belly, even as her hands locked around the Hollow's throat.

The Hollow gasped as inky blackness crept up from her neck, slowly covering her face. "How?"

"Hollows and Kurosaki blood don't mix well," Hollow Ichigo chuckled weakly. "Which means I'm about to be really, really sick, but then again, it's not my mind, so what do I care?"

"Bastard," Rukia choked out as she collapsed to the ground, feeling numb all over. "If you throw up in my brain, I'll never forgive you!"

"And if you dare die on me right after I saved your useless life, I'll bring you back just so I can snap your stupid neck."

* * *

The Vizards had only been a second away from striking down Rukia when the Hollow's robes fell away, revealing the original shinigami robes beneath. Rukia had immediately passed out afterward.

Even stranger, Karin, who they thought they'd lost, had similarly shed her skin, revealing a completely unharmed body beneath. She, too, was still sleeping, but Hachi was keeping a close eye on them both.

Not one of them was entirely sure what had happened. Rukia had somehow managed to defeat her inner Hollow, which Lisa kept insisting should've been impossible at the time. Shinji was of the opinion that she was just angry because she hadn't been able to do anything.

What really mattered was that Rukia was out of danger, for the moment. Karin, however, was still a concern. From what Hiyori had told them, there was still a chance that Acidwire could completely consume Karin again, despite the fact that she had already ripped off her Hollow mask. It was like no case any of them had ever encountered before.

No one had said it yet, but Shinji had a pretty good idea that it would be up to them to help Karin control Acidwire. If nothing else, she could be dangerous to anyone else, and they still had no idea what else Kurotsuchi's experimentation had made her capable of.

But there was also a question of what to do with Rukia. Technically, she was one of them, even if she lacked a mask. If she didn't stay, about the only option left to her was to join Ichigo's group. Either way, the life of a shinigami lieutenant was lost to her now. How upset she was about that would greatly impact her decision. At the moment, Soul Society was more likely to target Ichigo than they were the Vizards. But with Aizen in charge, it was dangerous to rule anything out. He certainly hadn't forgotten about the Vizards, and they couldn't afford to underestimate him again.

The only thing that Shinji was sure of was that he couldn't leave all of the decisions up to Ichigo. True, he was technically the guardian of both Karin and Rukia at this point, but any mistakes made there could come back to haunt the Vizards. At the very least, Shinji was going to insist that Karin stay with them until Acidwire had been "tamed" to his satisfaction. Ichigo wouldn't like it, but if push came to shove, Kurosakis seemed to respond better to sense being beaten into them.

* * *

Zaraki and Grimmjow were fighting.

There was no real reason for this. Nel and Grimmjow had simply arrived at the 11th Division for Yachiru's tea party. Zaraki had known they were coming. Yachiru had even circled the date and time in pink marker on his daily planner... and since he never read it, she'd ripped out that page and taped it to one of his bells.

No one was surprised when Nel and Grimmjow showed up on time. Zaraki had ordered that no one was to touch the two Espada.

He wanted them for himself.

Nel, he didn't really care about. She reminded him enough of Yachiru that she was the ONLY other person that could get away with calling him "Ken-chan." And so far, she'd been decent enough to not do that in public.

But Grimmjow was another matter. Zaraki hated him. He hadn't even really done anything. And that was the problem.

Grimmjow didn't do much of anything, except escort Nel. He rarely spoke, and was difficult to read.

Zaraki didn't like it. None of the Espada acted as if any of the shinigami were serious threats to them, but Grimmjow and Nel were the only ones that didn't openly look down on them. The very idea that Grimmjow might even pity them made Zaraki sick to his stomach. And there was only one cure for anything that ever bothered Zaraki.

To Grimmjow's credit, he did not treat Zaraki's ambush like a genuine attack. Nel had probably spoken to him about this beforehand, because neither of them had actually destroyed any property, yet. But already they'd spooked most of the Division into giving them plenty of space, which only made things easier.

Nel watched a few minutes of this sparring session from the window of Yachiru's quarters, just to make sure things were going smoothly. Then she turned to her pink-haired friend and sighed.

"Boys," they both groaned simultaneously, before collapsing in a fit of giggles.

Yachiru's tea party was not so much a tea party as it was a sweet drink party. She did have a complete tea set, given to her by Yumichika for a birthday present, but she had never served anything other than fruit juice, soda, or hot cocoa with it. Nel had never been to a tea party before, so this did not strike her as being odd.

Nel was on her sixth cup of cocoa when she noticed that Yachiru was staring at her head, or more specifically, the Hollow skull on top of it. "It doesn't come off," Nel said.

"That's not what I was going to ask, Nel-chan," Yachiru replied. "Well, not right now, anyway..."

"Then what?"

"How did you and Grimmjow become Espada? You really don't seem like the type."

Nel was silent for a moment. "Which time?" she said at last.

Yachiru blinked. "Huh?"

"I've been an Espada twice. So which time are you asking about?"

"Um... both?"

Nel frowned. "I was hoping you wouldn't say that. I don't remember the first time. Every time I try to recall something that happened too far back, I get these really bad headaches. All I know for sure is that Grimmy wasn't as nice then. But he wasn't my big brother then, either. Not until the second time."

"What was he like before?"

"I guess he was a bit like Ken-chan," Nel murmured. "Maybe that's why they don't get along. Ken-chan can probably sense the old Grimmjow inside of Grimmy."

"So what changed him?" Yachiru asked.

"My brothers. But mostly Aizen-sama, though I don't know if he planned for it to happen this way exactly. I was probably just lucky."

* * *

Nel had known it was dangerous to return to Las Noches, especially in her weaker form. Pesche and Dondochakka had begged her not to, but she hadn't listened. Nnorita was the only one with a personal grudge against her, but it was still very likely that the other Espada would kill her on sight, if only to cut down on the competition.

There was only one reason why Nel was determined to do something so risky, but it wasn't something she could've properly explained to anyone. It was a flimsy plan at best, but it was still something to believe in, and so she did.

Everyone talked about the Espada. That was nothing new. But recently, there was talk of one who was not prone to violent displays, and instead had a way of silent serenity. And it was on that Espada that Nel was pinning all of her hopes.

It was insane, true enough. She had never met Halibel, and knew next to nothing about her, save that she had taken Nel's rank in the Espada. There was absolutely no reason why Halibel would've been interested in helping Nel return to her true from. But Nel was still going to ask her to, and beg if necessary. The simple truth was that Nel and her brothers had only survived in the desert for as long as they had through a winning combination of distractions and running.

Those tactics wouldn't work against an Espada, and certainly not against the one that did want Nel dead. And it wasn't as if Nel couldn't defeat him at all, it was just that she needed to be able to depend on her ability to assume and maintain her true form for that to happen.

Sneaking back into Las Noches had been surprisingly easy, but then she had ordered her brothers to wait outside for her. Of course, it might've just been that Aizen had not made capturing her a high priority, and so no one was actively looking for her. Either way, Nel made it all the way to the meeting room of the Espada before anything went wrong.

She could hear several voices, but Aizen's had an odd, echoing quality that was easy to pick up.

"Yammy, come forward," he said. "I have decided to bestow a great honor on you. You have been chosen to give birth to the next evolution of the Espada."

There was a slight pause, and then Aizen ordered, "Swallow the Hogyoku."

Nel didn't know what it was, but she also didn't know if that was only because she couldn't remember. Still, she felt it was important, and dared to push the door open a crack. She was only able to see a large lump going down Yammy's throat, because two seconds after that, he exploded.

What happened after that was something that Nel never would've imagined as being possible.

Where Yammy had once been, there was a black, spiraling vortex. Powerful, undeniable winds ripped the room apart in an instant, and a roar like that of an enraged beast filled the air.

Nel was only able to cling to the door for a few seconds before she was pulled into the room, but what she saw would stay with her for the rest of her life.

The vortex was easily powerful enough to inhale everything in the vicinity, and indeed, virtually everything was drawn to it. But where inorganic matter, such as large sections of the walls, floor, and ceiling, were destroyed on contact, breaking them down to the very spirit particles that composed them, living matter, such as Hollows, Arrancar, and even some of the Espada themselves, were hurled away, just to be absorbed by the only objects other than Aizen that appeared to be immune to the vortex.

Aaroniero.

Halibel.

Ulquiorra.

And Grimmjow.

Nel noticed the last of these just as her brothers appeared, and immediately vanished into his belly. Then she lost her grip, and was torn through the air towards the vortex. As with the others, she was hurled back. But instead of being absorbed, she crashed into the wall, and then there was only darkness.

* * *

A person only had to know Kurosaki Ichigo for two minutes to know that he loved his little sisters more than anything else in the world. Tatsuki, for one, was not at all surprised to discover that he'd nearly destroyed the Soul Society in his attempt to rescue Karin. Frankly, she was more surprised that he hadn't done it, and that he'd allowed someone else to take his sister. Chad made no comment, but relaxed once Ichigo assured him that the Vizards could be trusted to protect Karin. No one was surprised, however, when Yuzu occupied Karin's usual seat on Chad's shoulder, and Ririn received a place of honor in his shirt pocket.

For all Ichigo's talk of his faith in the Vizards, however, he was in quite a hurry to reach their base, which turned out to be an abandoned warehouse, surrounded by a barrier that even Chad couldn't power his way through. Uryu examined it and announced that it was specifically designed to repel Hollows and beings with significant spiritual pressure, not unlike the barrier that had once been around Zangetsu. Ichigo wasn't sure what to make of that, and wasn't sure he wanted to think about it too much, either.

Ichigo had not told his friends much about the Vizards, except that they were strong, and that their leader had helped him improve his control over his Hollow, or at least made it so they didn't get in each other's way. From that, they had more or less assumed that this meant Ichigo was on good terms with the Vizards, and wouldn't mind him and a few friends dropping by for a visit.

They were not prepared for an ambush, which was exactly what they got.

The sandal caught Ichigo dead in the face, and despite the force with which it hit, was only a distraction. No one knew that, however, until after he was nearly impaled by a small girl wearing a rhino-like Hollow mask, complete with an enormous horn. As it was, Ichigo just barely escaped with a huge, bloody gash along his ribs.

Uryu was already drawing back an arrow when Ichigo motioned for him to stop. "I'll handle this. It's me she's pissed at, anyway. You guys go and find Karin."

"No," Chad said quietly, handing Yuzu and Ririn to Ichigo. "You're the one Karin is waiting for. I'll settle things here."

Ichigo frowned. "Yeah, but Hiyori isn't that-"

Another sandal caught Ichigo hard on the cheek. Scowling, he peeled it off and threw it away. "You're on your own, Chad." He turned and stomped off, Uryu and Tatsuki following at a respectable distance.

Chad tensed slightly as the rhino mask came drifting out of the darkness.

"So you think you can take me, huh, big guy?" Hiyori asked, lifting her mask enough to aim a sadistic grin at him. "Bigger than you have tried, failed, and screamed like little girls when I gored them! What makes you think you'll be any different?"

"You're a Vizard," Chad said slowly. "That means you've already suppressed your Hollow."

"Yeah, and?"

Chad blinked. "Just one?"

Hiyori glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe we shouldn't do this, after all. I don't want to kill you."

Hiyori jammed her mask back on and charged, only to get a large fist in her face that sent her crashing into the wall. She was still shaking the stars away when a very large hand closed around her head and slowly lifted her into the air.

"You only have to conquer one Hollow," Chad murmured. "But I do that every night. In my sleep."

Hiyori's eyes widened as Chad's free hand came up and snapped the horn off of her mask, and then thumped her on the head just hard enough to knock her out.

"Wah! He beat Hiyori-chan! He's really tough!" cried a voice somewhere behind him.

"Stay back, Mashiro. It's my turn to entertain our guest."

Chad sighed and put Hiyori down before turning around. The first thing he saw was an afro. The second were the shades. "Those are really nice shades. You might want to take them off, so they don't get damaged."

* * *

Halibel was easily the most mysterious of the Espada. Almost no one had heard her utter a complete sentence since her introduction, and what could be seen of her face offered few answers. But considering the attitudes of the other Espada, it was much safer to simply stay out of her way, especially when her thoughts were unknown.

But there was a single, odd pattern to Halibel's behavior: everyday, she had tea with Yoruichi at two in the afternoon.

If Yoruichi had ever displayed any outward fear of the Espada, no one had ever seen it. In fact, of all the Captains, she was the only one that still treated Aizen the exact same way she always had. It was not quite a lack of respect, more like a senior constantly teasing a junior. At any rate, Aizen had forbidden the Espada to kill Captains without his permission, not that any of the shinigami knew that. So at the very least, he did not consider Yoruichi's joking to be worthy of execution. Not yet, anyway.

Most of their conversations never strayed much from the topic of Aizen, though. Halibel knew very little of his past, and of course Yoruichi was curious as to what he'd been up to since then. Hinamori might have had a better idea of what he'd been doing, at least as far as the Seireitei was concerned, but being approached by either woman would be far too intimidating for the girl.

On this day, they began the way they always did.

"Aizen-sama wishes to know if you've given any thought to naming a second-in-command."

Yoruichi frowned. "I notice the Espada haven't been integrated into the power structure here. Does that mean I can pick you?"

Halibel stared at her, unable to discern if she were joking or not. "Why would you do that?"

"Honestly? Everyone else here is boring. They have to do whatever you tell them, anyway. And this way we can still have our afternoon tea. You can even bring your friends, if you want."

"What friends?"

Yoruichi blinked. "The other Espada, of course."

"Ah. Them." Halibel paused for a moment, and then added, "We are not friends. Only family."

"You're all related by blood?" Yoruichi asked skeptically.

"No. We are related in the way that members of mankind would be... if there were only five of them left."

"What happened to the rest?"

Halibel closed her eyes briefly. "They ceased to exist as individuals."

"Ooookay. So you never really gave me an answer on the whole Lieutenant thing."

"I will have to discuss it with Aizen-sama. He has not made his will known concerning Lieutenants yet."

"Really," Yoruichi murmured. "I can't help wondering if that's good or bad for them."

* * *

Karin woke up to the very peculiar sensation of her skin tightening around her. Her body felt like one enormous itch, and it was new enough that she was more than a little concerned. Her first impulse was to scratch everywhere that she could reach, and to have Yuzu do the other places for her. But before she could turn thought to action, Acidwire spoke in her mind.

"Be still, child. I am increasing the thickness of your hierro. It is essential to our defenses."

"Acid-kun... what's a hierro?"

There was a slight pause before Acidwire answered. "What you would call skin. For us, it is armor. The thicker, the better."

Karin gave this some thought. "So when Rukia cut me, is that what saved me?"

"No. If your hierro had saved you, you never would've been cut in the first place. That is why I am improving it. The only reason you survived is because I was able to force your body into high-speed regeneration. But that is draining for both of us, so better armor is more efficient."

"Oh. Thanks, Acid-kun."

"I told you, I cannot survive without you. I am only protecting myself. And... why do you insist on calling me that?"

Karin could've said that she hoped, someday, that Acidwire would be less of the scary creature that had once devoured her mind and body, and more like Ichigo's Hollow, who was also scary to some extent, but still helped out when he was truly needed. But she had no idea how he would react to that, so she gave him a simple truth.

"You keep saving me. It's all I can think of to thank you. I thought you'd rather be treated like a person, instead of a monster. Was I wrong?"

She never got an answer, either because Acidwire wasn't going to give one, or because in the next second, a familiar hand ruffled her hair. Karin looked up to see Ichigo smiling down at her.

"Hey," he said softly, kneeling down as she sat up. "Sorry I woke you, but-"

"Shut up," Karin muttered, burying her face in his chest and clinging to him tightly.

Ichigo did as ordered, merely holding her for a few minutes.

"Where's Yuzu?" Karin finally asked.

"With Tatsuki. They wanted us to have a few minutes alone."

Karin didn't like the way his tone had changed. "Ichigo, what-"

"Shinji... no, all of the Vizards. They want you to stay here with them, so they can teach you how to use your Hollow's powers. But that would take a year, at least. And you'd have to stay here the whole time."

"You told them no," Karin murmured, with certainty.

"Yeah, but how'd you-"

She smiled. "Because you're my big brother, and I just got kidnapped. What else could you say?"

He smiled in return. "I'm predictable, huh?"

"You are to me." Her smile faded. "That's how I know you won't like this next part. I'm going to stay here. For a year, or however long it takes."

Ichigo didn't say anything at first, and he didn't have to. He did his best to hide it, but he couldn't keep the hurt out of his eyes. "Karin... if you're only saying that because you're mad at me for not protecting you, I'm sorry. You can even hate me if you want, but-"

"Don't be stupid!" Karin snapped, glaring up at him with tears in her eyes. "Ichigo, I could never hate you! You're my brother, and I LOVE you, you big jerk! Do you really think I'd choose to be separated from you and Yuzu over something dumb like being mad at you? I'm not a kid anymore, and I haven't been for a long time now."

"And that's my fault," Ichigo said quietly, unable to look at her.

"Even if it was, I'd forgive you. But you've been protecting me all of my life, Ichigo. You can't keep doing it. I have to be able to protect myself. The same goes for Yuzu. That's why... you need to get a shinigami to train her. She won't try unless you push her."

"But... Yuzu's the baby," Ichigo stated plainly, as if Karin should've known better.

Karin smiled faintly. "I know, but she can't stay that way. What if they'd grabbed her, instead of me? We can't take any chances of that happening. She has to learn, Ichigo. If you never listen to anything else I say, listen to me now. I'll never be able to get anything done here unless I know I don't have to worry about Yuzu."

"I can't go near any shinigami right now, though. Not after what I did."

"So get Orihime to do it. If she won't, just tell her you know where Rukia is."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You know where she is?!"

Karin rolled her eyes. "She's here. And you should take her with you. She beat her Hollow once, but I don't think that'll happen again without help."

"Wouldn't she be better off here?"

"Maybe, but the Vizards didn't turn her into a Hollow, or promise Orihime they'd try to help. So you're going to take care of her, if only because it'll give you something to do while you're missing me like crazy."

Ichigo slowly took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I love you, Karin. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. But you still have to let me go, for now. Yuzu, too. I'll make Chad beat you up if you don't."

"I could take him."

Karin smiled. "Maybe, but it wouldn't be easy for you."

* * *

Considering that she was already stressed over the fates of both Rukia, as well as that of Ichigo and his friends, Orihime handled Captain Ukitake's death rather well.

Which is to say that she barricaded herself inside of his office for most of a day, with Tsubaki standing guard outside.

Amazingly enough, nothing was done to alter the situation. Frankly, the Seireitei was in an uproar already, and so long as Orihime's actions were not significant enough to draw the attention of Aizen or the Espada, no one was going to bother her. Her subordinates were similarly feeling the loss of their best shinigami, so none of them would've dared to interrupt her, especially not if they had to go through Tsubaki first.

Orihime's stand-off came to an abrupt end, in the form of Yoruichi calmly walking up and whispering a few words in Tsubaki's ear. Whatever she said caused Tsubaki's eyes to bug out, and he immediately shrank down to fairy size, vanishing through the sealed door in a flash of light. Smirking, Yoruichi knocked on the door twice.

The first knock was more a warning than anything else.

The second split the door in two and caused it to collapse at her feet.

Yoruichi was prepared for a great deal of things, except for what she found.

Orihime had spent over twenty hours in Ukitake's office, doing what first appeared to be absolutely nothing. But everything in it had been polished, cleaned, or tidied-up in some way, even the things that hadn't necessarily needed such treatment, such as a paperweight shaped like a smiling snowman.

"You need a new hobby," Yoruichi declared bluntly.

Orihime stared at her in shock. "Y-Yoruichi-sama! Why are you here?"

"You're not in trouble, if that's what you're thinking. As far as I'm concerned, unless Kuchiki shows up by tomorrow, this is your office. But we both know the chances of that happening, don't we?"

Orihime bit her lip hard, but said nothing.

"Anyway, I have a little project in the human world that needs to be handled. Interested?"

"I really should stay here and make sure that my Division is-"

"Rukia's there," Yoruichi added calmly.

Predictably, Orihime faltered, torn between loyalty to her Division and her best friend.

"You're a good soldier, Orihime, but only when your head is on straight. Fortunately, there's a way that you can ensure both things get the proper attention." Yoruichi drew a small, wooden pendant out of her pocket. It was clearly very old, and had a white butterfly printed on each side. "Do you know what this is?"

Orihime opened her mouth, paused, and slowly touched the sheathed sword at her side. "No, but Tsubaki seems to. He doesn't like it."

"He wouldn't. When used correctly, this pendant could allow one of the other Shun Shun Rikka to replace him as your strongest, if only temporarily. For the task I have in mind, Shun'o would be the most appropriate. But using the pendant comes with a great cost: in addition to being separated from one of them, your strength will be reduced by half. That means you'll lose at least one of your techniques, and the rest won't be as effective. And if you do select Shun'o, you won't be able to heal."

"But... is that wise, with the Espada-?"

Yoruichi sighed. "Let's be serious. If the Espada wanted someone dead, no amount of healing could save them. Just don't give them a reason."

* * *

Nanao had known that her Captain would take Ukitake's death hard. They'd been as close as brothers for most of their lives, and to suddenly be cut off from that connection was very much like losing an arm, and being expected to continue on without it. Captain Kyoraku handled this the exact same way that he seemed to handle any other issue that troubled him.

He drank. Heavily.

This time, however, no matter how much he drank, he remained sober. It was as if being reminded of Ukitake's death in any way instantly cleared his head, and pushed him a step closer towards true depression.

Nanao hated to see him that way, and told him so in between drinks, but Kyoraku simply said that he wouldn't stop, couldn't stop, until he received a sign. Then he sighed and reached for another bottle of sake.

From that point on, it was as if a pleasant fog had descended over Nanao's mind, and she was sitting somewhere while watching her body on autopilot.

She watched her hand remove the bottle from his lips, and quickly replace it with her own lips. She watched Kyoraku's eyes widen in shock, and was greatly impressed when she saw his hands raise to push her away. She watched herself deepen the kiss, straddle his lap, and wrap her arms around his neck, refusing to be budged. She watched her kisses become more forceful and passionate, to the point where Kyoraku very nearly would've had to strike her to get her off of him.

But of course, he would never do that, and had said as much in the past.

She watched them make love (and in her heart of hearts, Nanao had to admit that there was simply no other term for what could've occurred between them, whether sake was involved or not) in various places, finally ending up in her bed. Occasionally, Kyoraku made a half-hearted attempt to pause the action and ask if she was sure, but she never gave him much of a chance to do so, much less breathe.

Nanao couldn't really blame him. However it had happened, he had never been shy about admitting that he wanted her, jokingly or otherwise. And if nothing else, he obviously loved her, so any anger she might've felt faded rather quickly.

Especially when she saw her hand slip beneath her pillow, pulled out her zanpakuto in the form of a wakizashi, and neatly drew the short blade across Kyoraku's throat without even a hint of hesitation.

Whatever fog had been in Nanao's mind vanished the instant the horrible deed was done, but by then, all she could do was watch in horror as the blood began to flow from Kyoraku's neck.

"I see that your assigned task has been carried out," remarked a voice behind her.

Nanao spun around to see Ulquiorra watching her. "I... but... he... I didn't want-!"

"Good work," the Espada said simply, turning and walking out of the room, but not before uttering something that would cause her blood to run cold. "Aizen-sama will look upon you favorably for this."

* * *

Rukia awoke from a dreamless sleep, feeling renewed but wary. This was partially because she had no idea where she was, but mostly because Chad was sitting mere inches away, watching her closely.

"You slept for three days," he told her, in a tone that suggested she was meant to be impressed with that.

"Were you here that whole time?"

"No. But Ichigo and his sisters took turns watching you."

At the mention of Ichigo, Rukia sat up at once with wide eyes. "He's here?"

"Yes, but you don't want-"

Rukia jumped up and ran from the room, unconcerned with whether Chad was following her or not. She had a very good idea of why he might have stopped her, though. The moment she was outside of the room, she could feel Ichigo's enormous spiritual pressure clashing with another of similar strength. Rukia followed the energy (and as she got closer, the yelling) to a trapdoor in the ground that was standing open. The descending staircase she found there was cracked, and she could tell the damage was very recent.

"They're fighting," Chad said as he caught up with her. "It's dangerous for you to go down there."

"What if Ichigo needs help?" Rukia demanded.

"He won't. Besides, they're not out to kill each other or anything. They're just a little angry with each other right now."

That was a slight understatement, however.

Rukia reached the bottom of the stairs just in time to see Ichigo vanish in the midst of a large, crimson beam of Cero. The familiar spiritual pressure she'd been following fluctuated wildly, and then plummeted to almost nothing.

The attacker stood several feet away, his hand still extended and smoking. There was a Hollow mask on his head.

Rukia was moving even before she realized it, swinging her zanpakuto towards the Hollow's neck. There may have been some prejudice driving her, but Rukia was startled to admit to herself that the main reason was vengeance. Ichigo had saved her, indirectly or otherwise, and the least she could do was hurt someone that had hurt him.

Not that that seemed even remotely possible, as the man in the Hollow mask turned towards her with his other hand glowing bright red.

There was no time to move, and Rukia knew that she would die if the Cero hit her at point blank range.

"Must you always be saved by another?" said a reproachful voice in her ear.

Rukia gasped as the Cero bore down on her, washed over, and passed through her, without the slightest bit of harm.

"You won't die this time. But don't get used to it. I'm only lending you my power for a while, to ensure that we don't die."

She knew that voice. It was her own, or rather, her Hollow's.

The next thing Rukia knew, she was standing beside Chad, and he was poking her arm with a large finger. "What...?"

"You melted away. Into little snowflakes. Then you reformed here," Chad said, drawing back his hand. "Good thing, too. I'm not sure if Shinji was really going to hit you."

"Shinji? You mean that Hollow?"

"I am not a Hollow," Shinji sighed as he casually dragged Ichigo's bleeding body over to them. "I'm just someone that occasionally has to beat some sense into Ichigo. He was quite a few of those, actually, or he needs them."

"You could've killed him!" Rukia shouted angrily.

"And you," Shinji added. "Don't forget you."

Rukia blushed faintly, then glared at him. "What did he ever do to you?!"

"Let's see. He called me an idiot in front of everyone, implied that my parents were never married, and didn't even thank my associates for saving his sister. And THEN, he insulted my hair."

Rukia opened her mouth to do the same, but Chad's elbow grazed her arm with enough force to nearly knock her flat on her face, so she stayed quiet.

"Ichigo won't die. He's too stupid. He'll wake up in a few minutes, saying it was a lucky hit and demanding a rematch. In the meantime, however, you might want to decide what it is you intend to do. You could stay here, but if we're expected to look after you and Karin, I'll have to start charging rent."

"Shinji is a little much to take, but he's on our side," Chad explained as Shinji walked away, humming an upbeat tune. "The Vizards all are, more or less. And Ichigo was being rude."

"When is he not?" Rukia asked.

"Ruder than was necessary, then." Chad paused and looked at her closely. "I don't think you should go back to the Soul Society."

Rukia blinked, a little startled. "Why not?"

"Does anything in Soul Society's history suggest that they'd be tolerant of a shinigami with Hollow powers?"

"Well... no."

"We went to Hueco Mundo. It's empty. I'm starting to think Soul Society had something to do with that. If that's the case, it'd be dangerous for you there. Especially if you use your Hollow powers without realizing it."

"What are you-?"

"Could you melt into snow before you gained a Hollow?" Chad interrupted.

"N-No," Rukia whispered, paling slightly.

Chad reached out and gently patted her head. "Don't be afraid. We'll take care of you."

"Why?" Rukia asked, looking up at him.

"We made a promise to Orihime. You may fear your Hollow, but because of it, we'll accept you. Even bad things have their good points."

* * *

Though she was usually quite vocal at the meetings, Nel said nothing when the five Espada gathered before Aizen that night. Grimmjow certainly noticed, and the others most likely did, as well. Whether they intended to do anything about it was another matter entirely. Most of them seemed to enjoy silence, so she doubted it would be an issue.

Nel listened quietly as Ulquiorra reported the death of another Captain (amazingly, he hadn't done it himself). And though it was something she'd seen many times before, Nel felt empty inside when Aaroniero removed his helmet to reveal his latest acquisition: the smiling face of Ichimaru Gin. Grimmjow contributed reports on Unohana and Zaraki, who he found to be "acceptable risks," for now. Halibel concluded the meeting by sharing her observations of Yoruichi, who had yet to pose any real threat.

Nel thought back to Yachiru's invitation to join the 11th Division, and her own immediate but reluctant refusal. Yachiru was the only person, other than Grimmjow, who hadn't cared what she was. It was the first time she'd ever made a real friend, someone who hadn't been bound to her by circumstances or servitude. As much as she loved Grimmjow now, if they hadn't been Espada, they probably never would've met, and even if they had met, he wouldn't have cared about her at all.

The idea bothered her enough that she couldn't get to sleep. At least, not until she'd crawled into bed next to Yachiru, who rolled over, slung her short arm around Nel's neck, and continued to make the oddly cute whistling sound that Nel supposed was snoring.

"Tell me why, Yachiru," Nel whispered, closing her eyes. "Why do I feel closer to you, instead of my own family?"

Yachiru didn't answer, and Nel didn't really expect her to. But somehow, even the lack of a response was comfortable, where it would've just been annoying or scary with the other Espada. And as nice as it was, it only made Nel feel even more conflicted.

* * *

Tatsuki did not really feel safe with the Vizards. Ichigo and Chad kept getting into fights with them, for one thing, and serious or not, the wounds they came back with were all too real (although considering how badly Chad had thrashed them on that first day, she could understand why there might be some lingering resentment). But they had protected Karin, apparently to the point where she was willing to stay with them.

The news had upset Yuzu greatly, to the point where she'd refused to even look at or speak to Karin. Tatsuki had been trying to convince her that it wasn't so bad, but she had her own doubts. Karin wasn't exactly innocent, but Tatsuki had seen a few of the Vizards reading some adult material, and she wondered what kind of influence they'd have on her.

Uryu, of course, wasn't bothered in the least. "Everyone has to grow up, and this is Karin's way of doing that. We should support her decision," he told them.

Yuzu had kicked his ankle and run off. Tatsuki had nearly done the same, but she felt so embarrassed for him that she could only try her best not to laugh. It was the only time they'd ever seen Yuzu strike someone, which Uryu decided to see as a relief. Given Ichigo's and Karin's attitudes, he'd wondered if Yuzu was adopted.

Tatsuki didn't like the idea of the two sisters separating, especially after all they'd been through, but she did want them to be able to protect themselves. And if even Ichigo had been talked into it, she supposed there really was no choice. Nobody had been able to convince Yuzu of that, though, and she'd gone to bed early without eating.

Tatsuki joined her without being asked, but knew that Ichigo would've expected it of her, anyway.

Yuzu slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning every few minutes, sometimes whimpering and crying a little. Often she would call for Ichigo, Karin, her parents, or even Ririn (who she was clutching so tightly that the little mod soul had to be uncomfortable), and beg them not to leave her alone. All Tatsuki could do at such times was gently stroke Yuzu's hair, and while that calmed her slightly, it never lasted long enough for either of them.

It was around midnight when Tatsuki first noticed that large ladle that Yuzu had been carrying ever since Ichigo had obtained his sword. It was letting off a faint glow, as well as a pleasing scent that reminded Tatsuki of freshly-baked cookies. She was still trying to decide if the others needed to be informed when Yuzu rolled over in her sleep and murmured, "Return, Ichuunohito."

Ririn made a sound that was probably meant to be a gasp, but came out as more choked squawk, thanks to Yuzu's grip on her. Given what she saw next, Tatsuki knew exactly how she felt.

Two transparent people were kneeling beside Yuzu, adjusting her blanket with such obvious care and expertise that they could only be her parents. Tatsuki recognized them, but of course the last time she'd seen them, they hadn't been ghosts. Also, she had never seen them wearing shinigami robes, but they were now. At any rate, she was sure this was all just an illusion.

That is, until Isshin looked at her and grinned lecherously. "You've grown up into a real cutie, Tatsuki-chan!" he said approvingly, giving her two thumbs up.

Masaki smiled at that, but Tatsuki noticed that her hand was discretely placed on Isshin's knee as a warning. "We hope our children haven't been too much of a burden on you."

"No, it's fine," Tatsuki assured them, and meant it. "I don't mind at all. I mean, I like them, so it's okay."

"You're so kind to say that. Ichigo always did choose his friends well.

Tatsuki wasn't sure if she liked the idea of Ichigo having chosen her for anything, but decided not to say so.

"Anyway, we found this little guy, and he seems very attached to our Yuzu," Isshin added, pulling out a small, green-eyed kitten with tan fur. "Don't worry about feeding him, he'll come and go as she needs him. Just like us, in fact! Although, if you want to feed us, feel free-"

Masaki squeezed his knee slightly. "I think Yuzu may have forgotten about him, so just let her know that he still wishes to protect her. I imagine she can do the rest on her own. And try not to worry about them too much. It would only upset them if they found out."

Before Tatsuki could reply, both Isshin and Masaki vanished. The kitten they'd left behind crawled onto Yuzu's shoulder and licked her cheek a few times before it disappeared as well. And though Yuzu didn't wake up, she was sleeping peacefully for the first time that night.

* * *

Though she had been working nonstop for almost sixty-three hours straight, Captain Unohana had no intention of sleeping any time soon. She could now understand why Orihime had been so determined to do the same in the past, as well.

It seemed like every time she turned around, another of her friends was dead at the hands of the Espada.

She had no conclusive proof in the latest instance, of course, but she hadn't really expected there to be any. The 2nd Division had gone over every detail several times before delivering both Captain Kyoraku's body and killer to her. Soifon had always been one to follow the rules as closely as possible, but Unohana only needed a glance to see how much this case bothered her. Virtually everyone knew of Kyoraku's relationship with Nanao, and the idea that she could or would murder him was not even a remote possibility. As if they needed any further evidence, Nanao had suffered a series of nervous breakdowns after the act, and had proven unstable enough that only Captains were allowed to approach her cell (it wasn't as if the Espada would have any interest in her, after all). She hadn't even allowed them to clean Kyoraku's blood from her hands.

Amazingly enough, Aizen had not set an execution date, and Unohana had definitely feared he might. "The poor girl has suffered enough," he'd said. "I don't see much point in punishment, if she won't even understand the concept."

Unohana dreaded what Aizen might actually have in store for Nanao, but couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. She still had to prepare Kyoraku's body, and hopefully contact Nel and convince her to perform another miracle. At this rate, however, it was starting to look like Nel's miracles would become a lot more commonplace.

But any plans Unohana had made came to a halt when she walked into her office to find Kurotsuchi Nemu standing in front of her desk.

"Captain Unohana," Nemu said softly. "I apologize for disturbing you at such a late hour, but-"

"It is never too late to address an issue that threatens the stability of the Seireitei and its inhabitants. What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

Nemu slowly reached up to touch the back of her neck. "I believe I have been infected."

"By what?" Unohana asked as she moved closer to inspect the area.

"A Hollow," Nemu murmured, removing her hand to reveal a ghastly patch of white on her skin. "I first noticed the change after Captain Aizen healed me."

Unohana wished she could be surprised by that. She wasn't. "Why didn't you inform your father?"

"He wouldn't believe me. No. Even if he did, I doubt he would do anything about it. I knew you would. I don't want this Hollow to interfere with or control my thoughts. I would be unable to serve my father faithfully if that happened. But I have observed that exposure to Hollow particles, especially those that the Espada possess, is increasing the infection's growth rapidly."

For a long moment, Unohana said nothing. She knew very well that there was nothing she could do to stop the infection, especially if Aizen had delivered it personally. Probably he had managed to temper it with his own spiritual pressure, or something far more devious. But there were other ways.

"I may be able to save you. But you would have to explain to me, in detail, how your father transfers your soul to other bodies."

Nemu blinked slowly and nodded. "I can provide you with the necessary files. Will this procedure completely rid me of the infection?"

"I doubt it," Unohana replied, seeing no point in lying. "But at the very least, this should buy you some more time. And that's more than most of us have these days..."

**End of Part 7.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Rumblings of War**

Hinamori stumbles upon Aizen's greatest secret. Uryu puts the remains of Hueco Mundo to good use. Rukia finds a questionable way of getting into Ichigo's head. Karin and Yuzu begin their training. Nel makes a surprising choice.

* * *

Endnotes:

Ichuunohito: sweetheart; person in one's thoughts or heart

So apparently it's Harribel, not Halibel. Personally, I prefer the "mistake" (funny how often that happens). Which is a way of saying I probably won't bother changing the spelling, at least not right now.

Yeah, I know Masaki wasn't a shinigami, so there is a reason for her to be dressed that way. I have a theory, just go with it for now…

I should point out that Gin would never choose to be absorbed by Aaroniero, in case that wasn't obvious.

* * *

Mini-Profiles:

Nel

Race: Arrancar

Rank: Espada Tres (3rd)

Time Aspect - Youth: Reverse Revival

Nel can restore anyone to a youthful state by kissing them. This cannot be used accurately on the same person more than once.

* * *

Hollow Rukia

Race: Hollow

Snow Manipulation: Hollow Rukia has control over snow, including transforming parts or all of her body into it to avoid attacks she normally couldn't by staying whole.

Cero Blanco (White Hollow Flash)

(Let me stress that this is in NO WAY meant to be equal to Ulquiorra's Cero Oscuras, which is an Espada-level attack. White just happens to be Hollow Rukia's signature Cero color.)

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu

Race: Human, Shinigami

Zanpakuto: Ichuunohito (Sweetheart)

Shikai Command: "Return, Ichuunohito!"

Shikai Ability: Yuzu can summon the souls of her departed loved ones to temporarily aid her.


	8. Rumblings of War

Notes: You know what's annoying? Me going through all the trouble to power up the Espada, when it turns out one is already so strong he can just shrug off Bankai attacks. And I thought I was the one doing the cheating...

Warning: I always end up in odd places when I do IchiRuki, so, yeah. If you read "Ichigo and the Beanstalk," you know EXACTLY what I mean...

* * *

**The Humane Hollow**

**A Bleach Fanfic by**

**Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

**Part 8: Rumblings of War**

* * *

One of the things that Rangiku had always found annoying about Gin was that he had horrible timing.

No, that was wrong. Gin had a way of showing up or wanting to see her at the worst possible times. Sometimes, she thought he spent his days waiting in the shadows, looking to insert himself back into her life when she was at her lowest point. In that respect, he had excellent timing.

It would've been one thing if Gin were there to lift her up at those times. But more often, he only offered sarcasm, teasing, or hurtful words mixed in with playful banter. He seemed to know exactly how best to hurt her.

Sometimes, Rangiku could resist his invitations for months at a time. And sometimes, though she would never admit it to anyone, she couldn't go a day without at least seeing him or hearing his voice.

But all of that had been before the Espada, and before people Rangiku had known for years started dying all around her. Gin was the least of her concerns, and she'd nearly lost it when Kira handed her one of Gin's usual "love notes," which was little more than a time and place.

Rangiku intended to go, but only so she could make it clear to Gin that they both had bigger things to worry about. Actually, she was planning to be done with him for good, though that plan had fallen apart every other time she'd tried it. Rangiku felt that she had the proper motivation this time, though.

On top of everything else, Orihime had come down with a prolonged case of fatigue. Thankfully, Kiyone and Sentaro were more than happy to relieve Orihime of her duties, but Orihime insisted on staying in her Division. She claimed that Captain Unohana was busy enough, and that a little bed rest would cure her weariness in no time. Rangiku had already dumped most of her duties on a subordinate, and intended to make sure that Orihime was getting the rest that she obviously needed.

Gin's desired meeting place was a new addition to the 1st Division: a small, bare room that only contained a ratty-looking bed. Just looking at the bed made Rangiku furious, as it was obvious what Gin intended to happen here, no matter how she felt about it.

She had only been in the room for a few seconds when the door closed behind her.

"I've missed you, Rangiku," Gin said with that same unreadable smile on his face.

"Well, get used to it, Gin," Rangiku snapped. "It's over. The next time you see me, do us both a favor and pretend you don't know me."

"I was actually hoping we could-"

"I KNOW what you were hoping!" she spat. "It's NOT happening!"

"Are you sure?" Gin asked as he slowly moved towards her.

Rangiku was only a second from planting her foot in his crotch when she heard a familiar voice in her head.

"Stranger," it whispered. "Danger..."

Her blood froze in her veins. Rangiku would know Haineko's voice anywhere, and there was no way that Haineko wouldn't be used to Gin's presence by now. Her hand flew to the sword's hilt, but Gin's was already there.

"Now, why would you do that?" Gin asked as he came even closer, until their noses were almost touching.

"Y-You're not Gin!" she gasped.

"Really? I can show you my sword, if-"

"Aizen-sama has requested your presence," said a cool voice from the doorway.

They both looked back to see Halibel standing there, staring at them expectantly.

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done-" Gin began.

"Now, Aaroniero."

Rangiku was unable to keep herself from trembling as the Espada wearing Gin's body stepped away from her.

"Must you always ruin my fun, Halibel?" he sighed.

Halibel glared at him as he moved past her. "Nothing is more important than Aizen-sama's desires. Especially not your... fun." Instead of following him, though, she lingered in the doorway, gazing at Rangiku.

"Thank you," Rangiku whispered, unable to meet her eyes.

"You should be thanking him," Halibel replied. "I did not know Ichimaru for long, but I suspect that whatever Aaroniero intended for you here, he would've appreciated it far more than that man." With that, she turned away and left.

Rangiku sank to her knees, drawing her sword with unsteady hands. "Please, Haineko," she whispered. "Whatever problems we have with each other, we need to put them aside. I'm so afraid... that unless we get much stronger, we won't survive..."

When there was no response after several moments, Rangiku's heart sank. That is, until two furry arms wrapped lightly around her neck.

"You really are a useless cow, and I guess I have no choice but to depend on your sour milk for a little longer. But if you try to order me around again, you'll be the first one I use my claws on."

Rangiku whipped her head around, but only saw a blur as her sword clattered to the floor.

* * *

"Be alert, child. The lunatic is coming."

Karin opened her eyes as Acidwire's voice faded from her mind. She nearly thanked him for the warning, but was interrupted as the door flew open.

"Karintou! I brought you breakfast!" Mashiro announced loudly, grinning at her.

Karin blinked and looked at the tray in Mashiro's hands, hardly suppressing the urge to sigh. The tray was loaded down with apple jelly, apple butter, applesauce, apple pancakes, apple turnovers, and of course, apple juice. Just looking at it was enough to make Karin wish she'd never heard of apples, Vizards in general, and Mashiro in particular.

But, this was supposedly part of her training, so Karin accepted the heavy tray with a false smile and a rumbling stomach that had nothing to do with hunger. She started with the pancakes, but mostly pushed the apples to the side.

"How's your training going so far?" Mashiro asked, plopping down in front of her. "Has Hiyori-chan been hard on you?"

Karin wasn't sure how to answer that. There were days when Hiyori's idea of training consisted of bench pressing Hachi, and others when it was composed solely of eating every food that Mashiro offered her. Each was a new experience in physical torture for Karin, but she attempted them with her ultimate goal in mind: to become strong enough that Ichigo and Yuzu wouldn't have to worry about her. And she'd practically have to surpass Chad before that happened.

"Well, I'm not dead yet, Mashi nee-chan," Karin finally answered. "And she did say I could have the day off."

Mashiro smiled sadly. "Um, actually, what she said was that you had the day off from HER training. But I'm supposed to give you your lessons today."

Karin could practically taste the pancakes turning to ash in her mouth. "What?!"

"Don't worry, you don't have to do anything super tough!" Mashiro assured her. "You can just stand there while I kick you, okay?"

"I guess. But you won't be wearing your mask, right?" When there was no immediate response, Karin frowned. "No mask, right, Mashi nee-chan? Right?!"

"Have some more!" Mashiro said brightly, shoving a heaping spoonful of apple jelly into Karin's mouth.

Karin forced herself to swallow, even as Acidwire's voice returned. "At this rate, I almost hope the food will kill us."

* * *

Shun'o was not used to being out on her own, but she had adjusted quickly. After all, Orihime was counting on her, and from what Shun'o had seen that first night, Kurosaki Yuzu had the makings of a fine shinigami. She needed an equally talented guide to help her bring those gifts out in the way that was best.

It was not really her first time teaching: she'd been the main one to instruct Orihime in the proper use of the Shun Shun Rikka. Beyond that, Yuzu was so similar to Orihime at times that it was impossible not to grow fond of her quickly. But being like Orihime was double-edged sword, and seemed to come with most of the same dangers.

As with Orihime, Yuzu's zanpakuto was not used to attack directly. Instead, she used it to summon others to fight for her. So far, everyone she'd been able to call had been both dead and quite close to her while they'd been alive. Although because Yuzu had died fairly young, this list was limited to her parents and a stray kitten called Raku. This by itself did not sound very impressive, but each one held an impressive amount of strength to begin with, and they only grew stronger the longer they stayed with Yuzu.

The reason for this was not entirely unexpected, but still extremely dangerous: they all needed Yuzu's power to maintain their connection to the living world, and the more power they drew on, the more difficult it became for Yuzu to keep up the connection. If Yuzu had simply always been mindful of how much power she was using at any given moment, and could be depended upon to break the connection as was necessary, there would never be a problem. But Yuzu was not a battle-hardened shinigami. She was a girl that had lost her parents and her life all too soon, and now suddenly had a way to bring them all back.

Shun'o had allowed Yuzu the first day to get reacquainted with her parents. It had been good for her, and Isshin had offered some helpful suggestions for Yuzu's training. The first and foremost had been that the Vizard's base, while useful, was not an appropriate location, at least not for Yuzu. So Shun'o had relocated them to Urahara's shop, or rather the expansive room beneath it. Urahara had been very accommodating, even offering to let Ururu assist Shun'o with anything she might need for Yuzu's training. And as it turned out, Ururu provided the one thing that Yuzu needed most at the moment: a friend among the living, to remind her that there was a reason to keep living.

Even so, Yuzu was always reluctant to part with her parents, and that was something that Shun'o could not hope to change too soon, if ever. Worse than that, Yuzu's first instinct had been to run and show her siblings, but Urahara had explained that it would only distract Ichigo and Karin from their training. And that, he made sure to tell Yuzu in grave tones, would have them joining her parents far sooner than any of them had planned.

Oddly enough, Raku made the process far easier than anyone would've expected. Compared to Yuzu's parents, his drain on her was far less. Where Yuzu had trouble keeping her parents out for more than a few hours (and that was assuming they did nothing more strenuous than sitting and talking), Raku could remain by her side for nearly an entire day. Shun'o assumed it was because of Raku's smaller body mass, but Isshin proposed another reason.

"It's because he's closer to her than we are," he explained. "Yuzu doesn't have to reach as far to call him. And if I'm right about him, soon she won't have to call him at all."

Shun'o wanted to ask Isshin exactly where he and his wife were, and for that matter, where Raku was. But she got the answer to one of those questions about a month into their training, when a lion with a flaming mane and red battle gear appeared in Urahara's backyard. Shun'o knew at once who he was: his spiritual pressure was the same as Raku's, only heavier and more abundant.

Yuzu knew him on sight, but was shocked when she noticed that her zanpakuto was not active at the moment. "Raku, how did you get out?" she asked as the lion nuzzled her neck. "I didn't call you..."

"It's because he came on his own," Ururu said, gently stroking Raku's side. "I can tell he's come a long way, because his cape is dirty. He must have really wanted to be by your side, Yuzu-chan."

Yuzu's eyes teared up at once, and she kissed Raku on his nose. "I love you, too." She giggled as Raku licked her cheek.

* * *

Although she was not aware of it, Hinamori had been trained to need Aizen. Any accomplishment was immediately brought to his attention for his approval, any questionable issue subjected to his analysis first. Without his input, Hinamori simply could not function for very long at her usual level of efficiency. This did not change with the arrival of the Espada. In fact, they only made this more apparent: Aizen was spending more time on his own or with Espada, and Hinamori found herself constantly waiting for him to reappear.

Naturally, this made staying on top of 1st Division matters rather difficult for her. Hinamori understood that Aizen was busy with certain things (though she had no idea what they were), but the sudden distance between them made it nearly impossible for her to do her own job. Unless, that is, she suddenly decided to take matters into her own hands, and stopped worrying about how Aizen would view her actions.

But she didn't do that. She couldn't. Aizen had trained her not only to desire his input, but to crave it on a certain level.

Perhaps he even had such a situation in mind, when he first accepted Hinamori into his care, and perhaps not.

Either way, it was a given that Hinamori would eventually have to go searching for Aizen. With all of the rapid changes in the Seireitei, she needed to obtain approval for several projects that simply could not be put on hold any longer. Approaching the Espada was useless: only Halibel and Nel would even listen to her, and while Halibel never responded at all, Nel always said far too much (to the point where Hinamori knew even Aizen's famed patience would be wearing thin).

Aizen and the Espada usually met in the same place, so far as Hinamori knew: in Aizen's office in the 1st Division. Usually, Hinamori would wait outside the door until they were done. There was no harm in this: even with an ear pressed to the door, it was impossible to clearly hear what was being said on the other side.

Usually, however, the door was not open a crack, as it was this day.

Hinamori noticed at once, and almost took it as an invitation to enter. But then she heard Aaroniero's laughter.

"Things are proceeding rather quickly this time, aren't they, Aizen-sama? I guess all those practice runs really did help!"

"As I knew they would," Aizen replied. "It is a shame, though. And just think: none of this would be possible, if I hadn't trapped the Aizen from this world back in our own."

"I can't get over how surprised he looked! You'd think he'd know better than to trust you!"

"Yes," Aizen agreed, and it was easy to hear the smile in his words, "you'd think."

Hinamori very nearly had a nervous breakdown right there. Instead, she managed to hold in her conflicting emotions until she'd reached the relative safely of her quarters. Then she simply collapsed on her bed and let the tears come.

"Oh, Captain Aizen," she whispered, "what have they done to you?"

* * *

Ichigo hadn't known Rukia all that long, but from what he did know, she'd been acting weird ever since the group (minus Karin and Yuzu, of course) returned to the Kurosaki home. He couldn't decide whether that was good or not. Rukia had first struck him as being impulsive, loud, and rude. Now, she was polite, attentive, and even cheerful.

But only with him.

She cooked his meals, washed his clothes, and had even offered to wash HIM a few times.

Ichigo had no idea how to react to any of this, but as he was still somewhat upset about being separated from his sisters, it never really occurred to him to enjoy this attention. Besides, getting it from Rukia was just odd. It was the kind of thing he might've expected from Orihime, but Rukia offering such service just made it seem like she wanted something from him.

And she did, although almost a week passed before Ichigo found out what.

As unpleasant surprises went, this one was very unpleasant.

Rukia had made lunch for him again, and while she was not the best cook, she had eagerly learned from Uryu, who had been preparing his own meals for years. Ichigo didn't mind eating her food, since he couldn't cook, and asking Tatsuki to do it always resulted in a punch to the gut and an hour-long lecture on how women could do more than cook and look pretty (although Ichigo always insisted that "pretty" was never a word he'd use to describe her).

As had become her habit, Rukia sat there and watched Ichigo eat, like it was the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. Ichigo was not so hungry that he could ignore that.

"Um, Rukia, isn't there something else you could be doing?" he asked.

She frowned at him. "Why?"

"Well, Uryu said that you could-"

"Why isn't it working?"

Ichigo paused. "Why isn't what working?"

"When our blood mixed, I saw your Hollow in my head. So why haven't you seen mine in yours?"

"No idea," Ichigo replied, not the least bit concerned.

"Maybe it needs to mix in larger amounts?" Rukia murmured, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Larger than what?"

"Than the trace amounts I've been putting in your food all week."

Ichigo immediately spat out a mouthful of rice. "WHAT THE HELL?! YOU SPIKED MY FOOD WITH YOUR DAMN BLOOD?!"

"Well, I had a good reason!" Rukia snapped. "It's not like I just go around putting my blood in people's food!"

"IT'S EXACTLY LIKE THAT! IT IS THAT!"

She rolled her eyes. "You can relax now. I won't do it again, since it isn't working."

"So what the hell am I supposed to do about lunch?!"

"Why are you asking me? There's no reason for me to cook for you anymore."

Ichigo's jaw dropped. "You mean the ONLY reason you've been so nice, is because you wanted your damn blood in me?!"

"Why did you THINK I was doing it?"

"I don't know! Maybe I thought you were grateful to me for saving you!"

Rukia frowned. "You mean SPARING me from when you almost killed me, right?"

"That was my Hollow! And you said he saved you later, so we're even!"

"I guess," Rukia muttered reluctantly. "But it just doesn't make sense. You should've seen my Hollow by now..."

"Why would I need to? The version I can see is nuts enough," Ichigo grumbled, glaring at her.

Rukia started to answer, paused, and stared at his arm, then hers. Without warning, she grabbed a knife and quickly drew it across her arm, grinning madly as the blood quickly began to flow.

Ichigo leaped out of his chair. "RUKIA! What are you-?!"

She turned on him with a slightly sadistic gleam in her eyes, and jammed the knife into his arm as well.

"AH!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, RUKIA?!"

Rukia tossed the knife away, grabbed his bleeding arm, and mashed it against hers, rubbing the open wounds together furiously.

Ichigo was extremely tempted to punch her in the head, but before he could, the world went black.

* * *

Hueco Mundo had always been a world of death. But now, that world itself was dying.

When Uryu had first suggested the idea of the three of them returning, Tatsuki and Chad had assumed he just wanted to use something in it for target practice. Neither one of them was good at reading Uryu, as he had an excellent poker face, and never revealed his thoughts until he was ready.

That turned out to be a good thing, because if Uryu had told them his plan beforehand, they probably wouldn't have gone with him.

"I've been thinking about what Chad told us," Uryu said once they'd arrived. "About how his Hollows told him to come here, and how he thought Soul Society was behind it. But there's a problem with that line of thinking. Whatever absorbed all those Hollows is incredibly powerful. If the shinigami had those kinds of resources, they wouldn't have waited to take action. We'd have been hunted down immediately. So it's safe to assume that they weren't responsible for this."

"But that means we have to worry about someone else with that kind of power, right?" Tatsuki asked.

"Correct. And we have to assume that it's someone prepared to destroy the Soul Society. There's only so many reasons to go such extreme measures, after all. I, for one, intend to be ready. That means that our usual methods won't be enough. We need to get stronger, fast."

Chad nodded. "What did you have in mind, Uryu? And what does it have to do with being here?"

"You're both aware that a Quincy can manipulate and absorb spirit particles at an extremely high rate, and in massive quantities. I'm going to break down what remains of Hueco Mundo, and fuse the particles into three arrows."

"Could you even shoot them?" Tatsuki wondered aloud.

"Yes, though not without some difficulty. My calculations indicate that you should be first, Tatsuki."

"Um... first to what?"

"Wasn't I clear on that point? I'm going to fire the arrows at us."

Tatsuki stared at him in disbelief. "Um, NO, you're NOT!"

Uryu sighed. "I realize the idea is not appealing, but-"

"Why wouldn't I be first?" Chad interrupted.

"Because taking in that much power is dangerous at best. Suppose I shot you, and it worked, but you went mad and attacked the first things you saw: us. There would be no chance of stopping you. If it were Tatsuki, you could at least slow her down long enough for me to think of a strategy. And if I went first, there wouldn't be anyone to even make the arrows, much less shoot them. It has to be Tatsuki."

"Don't I get a say in this?!" Tatsuki demanded.

"There isn't much choice. This is the only way we'll be in any position to help Ichigo. And chances are that he'll still be stronger than us when we're done here. That's how fast he grows."

At the mention of Ichigo, Tatsuki fell silent. She had been worrying about how she'd keep helping, considering how strong Ichigo was getting. If this was the only way to keep up with him, it wasn't something she could afford to refuse.

"What do I have to do?" Tatsuki finally asked.

Uryu smiled slightly. "Just stand there, and try not to dodge."

* * *

In Ichigo's mind, Hollows mainly existed to do two things: eat and fight. There wasn't much deviation from this, although the more beast-like the Hollow was, the more it ate. The more humanoid Hollows tended to fight more than they ate, and this was even true of Ichigo's Hollow and the Vizards (although in the case of the later, Ichigo felt that they actually read manga and threw sandals more than they fought).

He had never questioned this: most Hollows were violent by both nature and necessity, and could no more be blamed for devouring souls than a dog could be blamed for shaking out its fur when wet. Ichigo figured that the only reason his own Hollow didn't attempt to hunt down human souls was because most of the time, he and/or they were human enough where such a practice would seem disgusting, unnecessary, or at the very least, odd.

Ichigo felt he understood most, if not all there was to know about his Hollow. They had been partners since he was a child, and had certainly fought enough (with enemies and each other) to predict each other's actions. Even Yuzu and Karin thought of Ichigo's partner as more of a second brother than anything else, no matter how scary he might appear at times. If Ichigo ever hesitated to hand over control to his Hollow these days, it wasn't due to a lack of trust. Rather, he worried that his partner might take things a little too far, or accomplish the goal with little or no restraint along the way.

But when Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself within his mindscape once again, standing beside Zangetsu's coffin, he could tell at once that his Hollow was not responsible for the destruction around him.

Not all of it, anyway.

The entire roof seemed to be one huge, misty, frost-covered crater. Zangetsu's coffin was curiously undamaged, though. As such, it made an excellent seat for the small, dark-haired girl sitting on top of it, watching the battle with wide eyes. Ichigo wouldn't have recognized her at all, if he hadn't caught sight of Hollow Rukia piercing through the mist with her Cero Blanco, which his own Hollow just barely dodged.

"Rukia!" he shouted, drawing the girl's attention. "Don't just sit there! Help me stop them!"

"Why?" Rukia countered with a frown. "They're happy. Leave them alone."

"Happy?! They're trying to kill each other!"

"Exactly." Rukia turned her attention back to the fight. "Just watch."

Ichigo's Hollow emerged from the mist again, his white robes stained almost entirely black with his own blood. There was a maniacal grin on his face, though, and it only grew wider as he stabbed himself with the tip of his sword, and then whipped the blade upward, releasing a dark wave of energy that was clearly meant to slice Hollow Rukia in half. Instead, her midsection simply exploded into snowflakes, allowing her to completely evade the killing strike with little effort. Consequently, she was almost completely unmarked, save for a few scratches on her face. Her expression was blank, as usual, and Ichigo was fairly certain that he was just imagining the twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

At any rate, it was clear that they weren't going to stop until one of them was dead (and even then, the violence could continue for some time). Ichigo was about to intervene when Rukia threw a loose chunk of the roof at him. He caught it, barely, not because she'd thrown too hard, but because his arm was much shorter than he recalled it being.

"Is it sinking in now, Ichigo?" Rukia asked. "We're stuck in these younger forms, for the moment. Our Hollows are drawing on most of our power for this fight. So the only thing we can do is wait until they're done."

"Maybe not," Ichigo murmured, staring at Zangetsu's coffin.

"Don't bother, I tried it earlier," Rukia said, noticing the direction of his gaze. "The lid won't budge at all."

"Maybe you're weak."

"And maybe you're a jerk!"

"You should be weak, if you've been leaking blood all week so you could poison my food!"

"My blood is NOT poison!"

"No way it's natural to be that tiny!"

"It is if you aren't a freak!"

They were so busy with the name-calling that neither noticed when their Hollows paused to watch.

"This is just pathetic," Ichigo's Hollow sighed. "I can't believe we're related."

Hollow Rukia nodded in agreement, then turned her head to stare up at his face.

"What?" he asked, frowning.

Without a word, she stretched out her hand, as if to grab his face. Instead, she halted her palm a few inches from his skin, her eyes focused on the blood that still ran from a gash on his forehead.

Ichigo's Hollow blinked slowly and mimicked the pose, his gaze drawn to the few drops of sweat that dotted her cheeks. His eyes widened as the temperature around her hand plummeted, and, expecting an attack, he began to charge a Cero in his own hand. Even at this range, she could probably do her shifting trick and cause him to miss, but with any luck, he'd manage to at least scorch her eyebrows this time.

But it wasn't an attack. The blood from his face was drawn into the spiraling white energy in her palm, and her spiritual pressure skyrocketed for an instant before falling well past what she'd been fighting with. The ease with which she was able to manipulate it was not lost on him; that had always been an issue with he and Ichigo. But that was nothing compared to her next trick: Hollow Rukia's newly compressed power took on a physical form of the left half of a Hollow mask. The moment the mask was complete, she pressed it onto his face with no warning (although if he had seen that there was a black snowflake around the eye, he certainly would've objected).

His scream was lost amongst overwhelming pain as two great powers were ripped from his chest: one that was purely Ichigo, and one that was something else entirely. In the space of a second, both powers were forced back into him. But instead of returning to the space they had originally occupied as lesser powers, they were shoved into the lead position along with the Hollow's own. Fortunately, neither he nor Ichigo were strangers to insane amounts of power, so it only took a moment or two to regain their bearings.

"I know that's you, Ichigo," the Hollow muttered through the mask, "but who's the other guy?"

Oddly enough, Ichigo was able to answer through the unmasked half of his mouth. "You can't tell? It's Zangetsu. There's no one else it could be."

Their eyes went to Hollow Rukia, who was staring at them blankly, her face bathed in red light as the Cero continued to charge in front of her. "How did she...?"

"It must be because her power comes from a shinigami. She woke up Zangetsu by forming this mask. I'd say we owe her."

"Yeah, well, compressing my power isn't exactly my expertise. I'm better than you, obviously, but I could still blow her head off."

"If you could do that, you would've done it already," Ichigo pointed out smugly.

The Hollow scowled, and was about to reply when he suddenly felt Hollow Rukia's cold hand close around his wrist. The crimson Cero flickered for a moment, its core becoming a brilliant white. With her free hand, she raised her sword and made a deep cut across her right cheek. The blood she drew was quickly pulled into the Cero's core, and her grip on his wrist tightened as she poured more of her power into him.

Although only Zangetsu knew it, neither the Hollow nor Ichigo could form a mask on their own. The Hollow had greater control over his power, but was unfamiliar with using it in a way that did not directly cause harm. Ichigo had trouble using his power efficiently, but only he could look at Hollow Rukia and feel sympathy, not only for her, but for Rukia as well.

"Don't think of it as attacking her," Ichigo suggested. "Think of it as just... touching her."

That idea only confused the Hollow more, but the choice was taken out of his control when Ichigo simply moved their hand forward, as if he intended to caress the cut on Hollow Rukia's cheek. The Cero thickened and hardened an inch from her skin, forming into another half mask. Without really knowing why, Ichigo placed three fingers at the top of the mask and drew them all the way down. Instantly, three long, red slash marks bled through the white, as if a set of claws had struck it.

She willingly moved into the mask, and her spiritual pressure did not so much rise as it changed. Black snowflakes appeared on her robes, and the eye that was not covered by the mask closed briefly, before opening to reveal what Ichigo knew to be Rukia's eye.

"Welcome back," he said quietly.

She did not respond, and they both turned at once to see that the children, and the coffin that had held Zangetsu, were gone, as if they had never been there at all.

"You know you're never cooking in my house again, right?" he asked absently.

"As if I'd want to," she snorted. "Does shaved ice count?"

"Shut up." As an afterthought, he added, "Only if it's not red."

* * *

There were really only two things that Yachiru treasured: candy and friends. Candy, of course, was only a temporary pleasure (no matter how sweet, gooey, or sour it might be), but friends were forever. That had always been her policy.

But even candy could not make Yachiru blind to the fact that things were wrong in the Seireitei. There were not many Captains she considered herself close to, but Ukitake had been one of them. He had always been full of smiles and unnecessary presents (which were the best kind), and the thought of him having been killed bothered Yachiru a great deal.

Captain Kyoraku, on the other hand, had always seemed a little strange, but funny. But that didn't matter. What did matter is that Ukitake had liked him, and that was reason enough for Yachiru to miss him, too.

But of more immediate concern to Yachiru was the change in her new friend. Nel was basically a cheerful person, but much of that cheer was missing now, replaced by long periods of reflection and regret. In other words, she was no fun at all.

Yachiru didn't stop spending time with Nel, as that would've conflicted with the policy. A friend was always a friend, even if they suddenly became horribly boring. It wasn't really Nel's fault, anyway. She was just seeing more and more that the Espada were not what she'd hoped they would be. Yachiru kept hoping that Nel would come around and accept the invitation to join the 11th Division. She was even willing to let Nel be Assistant Lieutenant.

It was Nel who decided to change things first, though. She came to Yachiru one day and asked a very odd question.

"Yachiru, would you still be my friend if I was older than you? You know, a lot older?"

Yachiru wasn't sure why that was important, but was perfectly honest with her answer. "Sure! But, um, are you going to get all gray and wrinkly? Because if you are, I need to tell Ken-chan, so he doesn't think you're a stranger and kill you accidentally. Plus I'll need to think up some games that old people can play."

She could see no reason why Nel's eyes suddenly teared up, nor could she explain the way that Nel abruptly gave her a huge hug. "Nel-chan, what's wrong?"

"Thank you, Yachiru," Nel whispered. "You're a really good friend."

"Of course!" Yachiru instantly agreed, though she would wonder about this incident for some time afterwards.

* * *

"Fascinating," Captain Kurotsuchi murmured as he examined a sample of Aaroniero's genetic material.

"Isn't it, though?" Aaroniero agreed. He was still wearing Gin's face, as he found the smile to his liking. Kurotsuchi either hadn't noticed or simply hadn't cared.

It was on Aizen's orders that Aaroniero had been sent to Kurotsuchi's lab, in order to provide the mad scientist with information on all things Espada. Predictably, Kurotsuchi had only been interested in the information that could be extracted through science, not words. It really was a shame, as Aaroniero had actually prepared a little speech.

"So, can you tell me anything I don't already know about myself?" the Espada asked, sounding rather curious. "Any ideas for improvement?"

Kurotsuchi frowned. Aizen had already sent him a detailed report on the Espada. There were some obvious gaps, and he hadn't really believed everything in the report, but the analysis of Aaroniero had confirmed it all. The Espada were all uniquely impressive, but Aaroniero was exceptional even among them. Kurotsuchi had never seen a case quite like this one. Aaroniero had assimilated thousands of different entities, and it was difficult to determine what his DNA had originally looked like. Given more time, Kurotsuchi was sure he could've unlocked mysteries that most scientists only dared to dream about.

Instead, he'd been given a matter of hours, and then Aaroniero was expected back in the 1st Division.

"There simply wasn't enough time!" Kurotsuchi complained. "Why, with my resources, if given the proper-"

"So, nothing new, then?" Aaroniero sighed.

"Well, not yet, but-"

"Pity." Aaroniero's face darkened as he murmured, "Die."

Kurotsuchi was not at all startled when the blade at Aaroniero's side rapidly elongated in a perfect mimic of Ichimaru's Shikai. If anything, he'd been expecting it sooner. He barely even reacted when the blade drove itself into his chest, directly through his heart.

"Are you done?" Kurotsuchi asked calmly. "All that power you have, and yet no imagination whatsoever. How your sword must weep."

"Ah," Aaroniero said with a smile. "You want something more creative. Say, for example, if I had combined his Shikai with another Captain's that you may be familiar with?"

Kurotsuchi's confidence turned to shock as he felt an unfamiliar numbness rapidly consuming his body. "You... what did you...?"

"You wouldn't recognize it," Aaroniero chuckled. "No, of course not. You took great pleasure in boasting how you modified your poison after each battle. And the last time we fought, your poison was far more advanced. Version 517, if I recall correctly. Given the current time restraints on this world, you probably would've only reached Version, what? 382? So I doubt your body would be equipped with the necessary defenses against it. It really is a pity."

There was no way that Kurotsuchi could respond: he was already dead, and the only thing keeping him upright was Aaroniero's sword.

"I suppose it wasn't absolutely necessary to add Suzumebachi's venom, but I do love to be thorough." The Espada slowly retracted his sword, grinning as he caught sight of the blade's serrated tip. It was a new design, added on Ulquiorra's suggestion, that practically guaranteed death via Suzumebachi's venom with what was technically only one hit. Knowing Kurotsuchi, he might even be immune to the present Suzumebachi's venom, but there was no way he could account for that venom being mixed with a heavily diluted form of Barragan's Respira (which Ulquiorra had full access to). They had yet to encounter anything that proved entirely immune to the rotting effect, and by the time the Espada had returned his sword to its sheath, there was only a gaping, spreading hole where Kurotsuchi's chest had once been.

"It may have been kinder to simply eat you," Aaroniero admitted as he turned to leave, "but I don't bother with inferior food. I'm sure you can understand that."

* * *

"This is late, even for Kurotsuchi," Hitsugaya growled. "If he's doing this on purpose-"

"He's dead."

The four Captains present turned as Soifon walked in, shut the door, and sealed it with several different spells before taking her own seat.

"You've confirmed this?" Unohana asked.

"No," Soifon admitted, "but it's the safest assumption, isn't it? Kurotsuchi has been late before, but never by more than thirty minutes. I stressed that this emergency meeting was both mandatory and key to the survival of not only the Seireitei, but Soul Society itself."

"So it's just the five of us left, not counting the old man," Zaraki muttered.

Hitsugaya blinked, and before he could stop himself, asked, "Your lieutenant isn't with you?" Frankly, Zaraki looked positively naked without Yachiru hanging off of him.

Zaraki's frown deepened. "I made her stay put. She didn't even throw a tantrum." He paused and added, "She's never not done that before."

"It's a sign of the times, I'm sure," Yoruichi stated. "You have a plan, Soifon. You wouldn't have called us here otherwise."

"I had no choice but to request assistance," Soifon admitted, sounding ashamed. "Soul Society won't survive without it."

"Called my brothers, did you?" Zaraki asked with a feral grin. "Sounds like a party now."

"There are more of him?" Hitsugaya asked, sounding slightly concerned.

"Of course not," Unohana answered. "He's referring to the previous Kenpachi."

Hitsugaya sat a little straighter in his seat. "They're coming? Here?"

Yoruichi smirked. "I wouldn't hold my breath on that one. They've never done it before. So they must be doing the next best thing short of them actually being here."

Soifon nodded. "They've agreed to send representation."

Hitsugaya gaped at her. "You can't be serious! We're being annihilated, and they're going to send... STAND-INS?!"

"That's just the term they prefer," Unohana explained, touching his shoulder. "The actual process is far more effective than you imagine."

"Then what are they planning to do? Exactly," Hitsugaya demanded.

"Simply put, we will each be transmitted a portion of a previous Kenpachi's power. Assuming that the Seireitei itself is not destroyed in the resulting battle, that should be enough to assure our victory. So there is no need to-"

"They killed Ukitake like he was nothing," Hitsugaya snapped, his shoulders trembling slightly. "Don't tell me that we're assured of anything. And if this method is such a great idea, why is it that none of you suggested it when the first Captain was murdered?"

"Because this method can't even be suggested unless there are less than six Captains to actively defend the Seireitei," Soifon said quietly. "It is thought that more than six Kenpachi, releasing their power against enemies of comparable power, in the same area, would cause a level of devastation so complete that no land could ever recover from it. We are not yet at the point where Soul Society's destruction is preferable to its current condition. However, if we continue to take losses, even with the power of the Kenpachi, then..."

"It'll be time to bring the house down on the bastards' heads, plain and simple," Kenpachi chuckled with a sinister grin.

Hitsugaya did not share Zaraki's humor, but part of him desperately hoped it would come to that. He could see no other way to defeat the Espada for sure, and he would rather see his home destroyed than in the hands of Aizen's monsters for another day.

* * *

Urahara had not been to the Kurosaki home in some time, and figured he would look in on Ichigo and Rukia. He also figured that by now, they would've given into the obvious sexual tension between them, and, if he was extremely lucky, they'd be going at it like rabbits when he arrived.

It should be noted at this point that Urahara's mind worked a bit differently from nearly everyone else's.

But what Urahara walked into was less like a love scene and more like a crime scene.

Both Ichigo and Rukia were facedown on the kitchen floor in a huge puddle of dried blood. Neither one was moving, though both were still alive, somehow.

With a sigh, Urahara pulled out two rental gigai he'd brought along, just in case, and quickly extracted the souls of the two teens, shoving them rather carelessly into the gigai.

Ichigo woke up first, and immediately began to scream. Rukia soon joined him.

Urahara just smiled. It was impossible to say whether he'd meant to put Ichigo in the short, female gigai or not. But Rukia looked even more ridiculous, because her gigai's head kept trying to fall off, since her actual head was somewhere in the region of the gigai's shoulders.

"Okay, enough fooling around, you two. Get this mess cleaned up."

"Why should we do anything that you say?!" Ichigo demanded angrily.

"Ichigo," Rukia said crisply, "I am NOT eating in this kitchen until it's clean. And if you would freak out over a few drops of blood in your food, I can't imagine that you could eat here, either."

"You're supposed to be on MY side."

"I will be," Rukia promised with a small smile. "AFTER the kitchen is clean. Then we can throw him out on the front lawn."

Urahara coughed loudly. "I'd suggest patching up the holes in your original bodies before you do anything else. I understand that leaking blood isn't exactly considered healthy."

"It's not like we did it to each other," Ichigo grumbled. "That was all Miss Hack and Slash over here."

Rukia glared at him. "Why would you say that, while I'm in the room, when you JUST saw how good I am at stabbing you?"

"You just caught me off guard! I wouldn't let you do it again!"

Urahara could see that Rukia was eyeing the drawer where the knives were presumably kept, so he decided to intervene before things got any worse. "You know, I could offer you two some artificial souls for half price. Then you could just have them clean up the mess."

"Yeah, fine," Ichigo grumbled, shoving some money at Urahara and snatching the two offered dispensers. He didn't like that they both looked like rabbits, but quickly picked out two candies.

"How do you know how to use them?" Rukia asked as Ichigo turned his body over and opened the mouth.

"Ririn was babbling about them once. I heard most of it, I guess."

"I'm guessing you didn't hear that there were different kinds," Rukia murmured with a smug smile.

"What does that have to do with-"

"Ichigo-sama!" his body shouted, leaping to its feet with a strangely bright smile. "Chappy is here to serve you! Pyon!"

Ichigo just stared at it in horror, so Rukia took the remaining candy from his limp hand and inserted it into her own body. Her body reacted in much the same way, but Rukia was far more prepared for the way that her Chappy glomped onto her at once.

"Chappy-chan, I need you and your friend to clean up this mess," Rukia instructed.

"Hai, Rukia-sama!" both of them sang and ran out of the room, causing Ichigo to sputter indignantly.

"W-What the hell is up with these pills, Creepy Bucket Hat Guy?!" Ichigo shouted, whirling on Urahara.

"They're working exactly the way they're supposed to," Rukia explained, smiling sweetly as their bodies returned carrying mops and buckets of water. Then her hand shot out and grabbed Urahara by the throat. "Now, PUT US IN THE RIGHT GIGAI OR YOU'LL BE EATING ALL YOUR MEALS THROUGH A STRAW!!!"

Urahara quickly made the switch and exited, muttering about ungrateful customers and how there was no respect for a proper salesman these days.

"You see? You just have to know how to talk to him!" Rukia said, smiling a smile that even made Chappy's seem dim by comparison.

Ichigo slowly took a step away from her, being sure to block the drawer with the knives in it from her view.

* * *

Upon finding her father dead in one of his labs, Nemu did not panic.

First, she checked his vitals thirty-seven times, as his protocol demanded. Then, she cremated the body (three times with Hado 54: Haien, just to be safe). Next, she pulled one of her father's clones out of cold storage, implanted an artificial soul that was reasonably similar to his own, and had it make his rounds throughout the Division, just to keep up appearances.

Then, she sat down, and pondered what she was meant to do without Mayuri to guide her.

Naturally, Mayuri had assumed he wouldn't die any time soon, so there were only so many instructions left in place. There was a standing order to destroy his killer, but Nemu knew that was impossible for the moment. Not just because the killer had to be stronger than Mayuri, but because she couldn't depend on her own body in a fight. Her first appointment with Captain Unohana wasn't for a few more hours, and there was no telling what condition she would be in after the treatment.

But no matter what condition she was in, Nemu decided that she would fulfill her father's wish, if not for him, then at least for Soul Society. It was her home, and it was in terrible danger of either no longer being her home, or no longer being, period.

She needed power, plain and simple. And though it was ill-advised, of all the powerful people who might be convinced to teach her, Nemu could think of only one who might do so purely because of her current circumstances. So no matter what Captain Unohana's treatment was, Nemu had made up her mind.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she was going to find Kurosaki Ichigo and learn the secrets of how he drew out his Hollow powers, one way or another. And then, just as he did, she was going to make her own Hollow work for her interests.

Under normal circumstances, Nemu might have been concerned about being able to suppress the Hollow. But that was no longer an issue. After disposing of her father's body, she had noticed that his zanpakuto remained, refusing to burn even after three doses of Haien's all-consuming flames. She knew for a fact that Mayuri had recently rigged the sword to spew poison if anyone else touched it. She also knew that she was immune (mostly) to the poison, and therefore did not hesitate to pick up the sword. Amazingly enough, Ashisogi Jizo had not attacked. Instead, it let out a contented gurgle, and then returned to its slumber.

Mayuri had often complained that despite possessing the best of his traits, he considered Nemu to be a poor subordinate on even her best days. It was only now that she began to understand what he was implying.

"My soul," Nemu murmured, "artificial though it is, is patterned after Mayuri-sama's own soul. I will use this soul, and this zanpakuto that still responds to it, to avenge Mayuri-sama's death. I am certain that is Ashisogi Jizo's wish, for it carries his will."

That was why Nemu was so certain her Hollow would pose no further threat to her. If nothing else, her father's will had always been more than capable when it came to keeping her in line.

* * *

Ichigo knew nothing of subtlety. He wasn't that type of person, and never would be. So he tended to make grand gestures that were easily misunderstood, but also the only way he knew to express himself. Each of his friends had been surprised when he told them to move in with him (Tatsuki especially, though she calmed down once she realized that Ichigo was just lonely). But that was just Ichigo's way of saying that he didn't mind having them around all of the time. It was really very flattering, if looked at the right way.

He'd skipped all of that with Rukia, solely because Karin had told him to. Ichigo didn't always do what Karin told him, but he always listened to her, and in this case, she had a point. Rukia was his responsibility, since he'd gotten her into this mess. Naturally, he didn't tell her that. He only said, "You can stay with me until Orihime comes to get you." Ichigo had no idea if Orihime was coming at all, but he hoped she would. He had no idea what to do with a girl that he wasn't related to, or wasn't Tatsuki.

Rukia wasn't stupid, and at the least, she was definitely smarter than Ichigo. Despite her first encounter with him, based on what Orihime had told her, and what she'd seen of his treatment of Tatsuki and his sisters, he was ultimately a gentleman. A loud, awkward one that lacked manners or any sort of refinement, but he meant well. Actually, he was strangely like Renji, and Rukia found herself amused by him in much the same way she was by the redhead. They certainly had a tendency to pick fights with her the same way.

Once they got past the 'bloody kitchen' incident, Ichigo was a little uneasy. He felt like their Hollows had brought them closer together, and wasn't sure how that made him feel. He knew he could trust his, but Rukia's had tried to kill Karin (he had only overlooked that because he knew Rukia had no control over it then, plus Karin had told him to).

"You really need to stop avoiding me, Ichigo," Rukia told him once she noticed his behavior. "I'm not going to bite or stab anymore. You're supposed to be helping me control my Hollow, and she doesn't like it when you're not close by."

Ichigo had stared at her in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"

"No, dummy, I'm not. Something about your presence soothes her. I can tell, because it's the only time when she's not grumpy or complaining."

"So I have to be around you? All of the time?" he asked, frowning.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, it's not as if I LIVE with you or anything," Rukia snorted. "You're lucky. You should be honored that a pretty girl wants to be near you."

"Yeah, well, let me know when one gets here," Ichigo muttered. He knew he deserved the slap that followed, so he didn't try to avoid it, much.

* * *

Rangiku had wisely decided that she didn't much feel like being alone after her narrow escape from Aaroniero. She'd spent the rest of the day at Orihime's bedside, thinking of ways to entertain them both. Orihime's condition didn't seem to be improving much, nor was it getting any worse. Fortunately, it wasn't contagious, and Orihime wasn't the type of person to question it when Rangiku asked to stay overnight with her.

Rangiku hadn't told anyone about what had nearly happened to her earlier. She didn't want to worry Orihime, and she also didn't want to be caught out in the open by another Espada (or the same one, for that matter). She knew it was best to report that Gin was dead, but suspected that such news wasn't really considered big or surprising anymore. Also, she didn't think that Aaroniero would bother to take over all of Gin's duties, so surely Kira would notice and assume the worst.

It was well after midnight when someone knocked twice on Orihime's door, and then, after a long pause, knocked once more.

Rangiku instantly reached for her sword, but Orihime stopped her.

"Don't, Ran-chan. It's Nemu."

Rangiku stared at her. "How do you know, Hime?"

"I recognize her spiritual pressure. It isn't quite like anyone else's."

That actually made sense, as Nemu herself was not quite like anyone else. Rangiku was still wary as she opened the door, because she'd never been able to get more than two words out of Nemu, and those were usually "Excuse me," while she was walking away.

Nemu looked the same as she always did, with two glaring exceptions: the zanpakuto she wore on her hip, and the one strapped to her back, which was obviously her father's. "I'm sorry to call on you both so late, but you-"

"How did you know I would be here?" Rangiku demanded, instantly suspicious.

Nemu blinked slowly. "President Kusajishi mentioned that you were close. I assumed you would be here caring for Inoue-san. It is no longer safe to be alone in the Seireitei."

"But you're alone, Nemu-san," Orihime pointed out, sounding worried. "What if something had happened to you?"

"I am not alone," Nemu replied. "I have my father's will."

"Why do you have his zanpakuto? I've never seen him without it," Rangiku noted.

"The Espada killed him."

Rangiku's eyes widened. "Him, too?!"

"Yes. May I come in now?" Nemu asked.

"Of course!" Rangiku quickly pulled her inside and shut the door. "So did you come here just because you wanted company?"

"No. I am on my way to see Captain Unohana. I thought it would be better if you two came along."

Rangiku and Orihime exchanged looks. "But... Orihime can't go anywhere," Rangiku explained. "She needs to rest."

"I will carry her myself," Nemu offered. "She will be safer with us."

"But I just told you that she needs to rest! She's sick!"

"I highly doubt that will matter to the Espada. I must insist that you both come with me, if for no other reason than your own safety."

Rangiku frowned. "And if we do run into the Espada? What then?"

"Then you two will run while I provide a distraction."

"NO!" Orihime shouted, tears in her eyes. "We won't leave you to die, too!"

Nemu just looked at her. "I have no intention of dying. I must avenge my father."

Rangiku shook her head. "But if he couldn't beat the Espada, how can you?"

"I'll find a way. I must."

**End of Part 8.**

* * *

**Next Chapter: Do the Fusion Dance!**

Nemu has an odd idea about how to use her zanpakuto (both of them). Team IchiRuki does some training. Yuzu gets a sparring partner. Nel and Grimmjow do some growing up. Chad and Hinamori each discover some important info on the Espada. Aizen (both of them) plots more evil.

* * *

Endnotes:

Hado 54: Haien (Abolishing Flames; Waste Flame in the manga): Fires a blast of purple spiritual energy that will incinerate a target completely when it makes contact. (This is what Tosen uses to destroy Grimmjow's arm after he cuts it off)

Karin is the Japanese word for quince, an Asian fruit related to apples and pears. Karintou is a fried dough cake, sometimes topped with sugar or sesame seeds. It has virtually nothing to do with a quince. Whether Mashiro actually knows that and is being annoying on purpose, or simply thinks it's cute, is open for debate.

As if you couldn't tell, Haineko's appearance is heavily influenced by her most recent appearance in GASP! yet more dreaded filler episodes. Though I have to admit these seem pretty neat so far. I especially love how Ichigo typically tries to help a wounded Rukia by yelling at her. Classic IchiRuki moment!

Yeah, I finally broke down and gave Ichigo a mask. Well, half of one. Even worse, they're a his and hers set, and his has a snowflake on it. Hope you're happy.

So now you have some idea of why the Espada have so many instant overkills when pitted against Captains: they're stupid strong, (in Aaroniero's case) hopped up on shinigami souls, and on top of that, they've done this at least once before. In fact, the only real difference between this case and the manga that I can see is that I chose different top Espada. But if you're thinking that, based on the latest manga chapters, my Espada are WAY too strong... good.

Nemu probably only refers to Yachiru as "Madame President" while on Shinigami Women's Association business, but she seems to take her tasks there so seriously, she might even do so at other times.

Oh, and a quick thanks to Marching Madly Onward for giving me the idea for the first scene!

Rant Time: I will admit that Barragan has the best attacks, like, ever. But beyond that, I can't stand the guy. It figures that the only thing that can do him in, is himself. But it also makes the Captains look really, REALLY bad for keeping their Bankais hidden for so long, only to have them do virtually nothing against the last of the Espada. Heck, even the Vizards are starting to look bad, and that's just not cool, man.


End file.
